agonizing
adjective
ag·o·niz·ing
ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ 
: causing agony
an agonizing injury
agonizingly
adverb
Examples of agonizing in a Sentence
a long and agonizing battle with cancer
She made the agonizing decision to cancel the trip.
The agonizing wait was finally over.
He was in agonizing pain.
Recent Examples on the Web
Anyone who followed that series on a weekly basis knows how agonizing those cliffhangers could be.
—
Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
That's agonizing for families who have to split up while waiting for the heart and during the weeks and months after the transplant.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
The most agonizing and gripping sections of the book for me are the poet’s raw observations about where selflessness can lead you (as in Kimon’s exploitation by his culture, and younger writers) and how self-interest can be a kind of armor.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Brexit, the agonizing effort to break free of the controversial European Union, splintered the governing Conservative Party and then divided the Labour Party as well.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
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Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
That's agonizing for families who have to split up while waiting for the heart and during the weeks and months after the transplant.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 5 Mar. 2026
The most agonizing and gripping sections of the book for me are the poet’s raw observations about where selflessness can lead you (as in Kimon’s exploitation by his culture, and younger writers) and how self-interest can be a kind of armor.
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
Brexit, the agonizing effort to break free of the controversial European Union, splintered the governing Conservative Party and then divided the Labour Party as well.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonizing. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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