agonized

adjective

ag·​o·​nized ˈa-gə-ˌnīzd How to pronounce agonized (audio)
: characterized by, suffering, or expressing agony

Examples of agonized in a Sentence

an agonized cry of despair one look at his agonized, tearful eyes and it was clear that something was terribly wrong
Recent Examples on the Web All the while, the report says, terrified students inside the classrooms called 911 and agonized parents begged officers to go in. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 19 Jan. 2024 Claudel sheared off the head and arms and one knee, leaving the feet planted on the ground to support the woman’s body, a choice that emphasizes the agonized curve of her back, with its perfectly articulated spine. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 Adam, ever the screenwriter, performs a brilliant editing job on his life, cutting out decades of agonized relationships and even normal conflicts. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2024 Legions of consumers now in their teens, 20s and 30s grew up in households where mortgage and rent payments, credit card bills and student loans have been sources of agonized conversation for years. Christine Romans, NBC News, 21 Dec. 2023 And, throughout, there’s the physical punishment that the performer-athletes take for their showmanship, the high price exacted by choreographic failures and reckless improvisations, and the mental torment that comes with agonized bodies. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023 Her world turned upside down, however, when the phone rang again at 3 a.m. Calls at that hour rarely bring good news, and this one, from an agonized Sand, changed their family’s life in ways that are still unfolding. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2023 Abu Marzouk’s professions of surprise matched the agonized assessments of Israel’s military leaders. Adam Rasgon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2023 Death is a dreamily alluring soprano; Jean-Charles, an agonized representative of those aboard the raft. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'agonized.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from past participle of agonize

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agonized was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near agonized

Cite this Entry

“Agonized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonized. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on agonized

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!