Definition of AGONIZE

Examples of agonize in a Sentence

got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing

Recent Examples on the Web

Each minute of the film is agonizing in some way or another — each minute, that is, except for the two minutes toward the end when Rachel does her hair. — Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, "The Rachel Dolezal Documentary Gave Us the Hair Tutorial We Didn’t Ask For," 27 Apr. 2018 Others gave birth to unloved babies; some agonized over whether to give them away. — Washington Post, "Silent pain: Rohingya rape survivors’ babies quietly emerge," 5 July 2018 But the Goats were fortunate to be facing the New York Red Bulls, a club renowned for agonizing, repeated slip-ups in knockout competition. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Toronto FC Earns Matchup With Chivas de Guadalajara in Concacaf Champions League finals," 11 Apr. 2018 Atlas’s horror line, emasculated by the code, became largely divided between Kirby’s stories, starring generic monsters with names like Groot and Fin Fang Foom, and Mr. Ditko’s agonized character studies. — Andy Webster, New York Times, "Steve Ditko, Influential Comic-Book Artist Who Helped Create Spider-Man, Dies at 90," 7 July 2018 Tensions intensified this week when reports showed executives agonizing over how to downplay the ominous-sounding AI aspects of the contract in the media. — Erin Griffith, WIRED, "Google Won't Renew Controversial Pentagon AI Project," 1 June 2018 The three-member Board of Correction had a lengthy discussion over the plan, with members agonizing that their actions didn’t address the cause of Idaho’s growing inmate population. — Washington Post, "Idaho governor: Inmates won’t be housed in barracks," 2 July 2018 The three-member Board of Correction had a lengthy discussion over the plan, with members agonizing that their actions didn’t address the cause of Idaho’s growing inmate population. — Kimberlee Kruesi, The Seattle Times, "Idaho governor: Inmates won’t be housed in barracks," 2 July 2018 Clinging to improvised rafts, constructed in a death battle from floating boards and timbers, were agonized men, women and children, their heart-rending shrieks for help striking horror to the breasts of the onlookers. — sandiegouniontribune.com, "June 1, 1889: Johnstown flood," 1 June 2018

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History and Etymology for agonize

borrowed from Middle French agoniser "to exercise, struggle, suffer, (in past participle agonisé) torment," borrowed from Medieval Latin agōnizāre "to struggle, suffer death pangs," going back to Late Latin, "to fight, wrestle," borrowed from Greek agōnízesthai "to contest, fight," verbal derivative of agṓn "assembly, contest" — more at agony

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