agonizing

1 of 2

adjective

ag·​o·​niz·​ing ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ 

: causing agony

an agonizing injury

agonizingly adverb

agonizing

2 of 2

present participle of agonize

Synonyms of agonizing

Adjective

• painful
• harsh
• torturous
• cruel

Examples of agonizing in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

Damage to the remains could complicate evidence The discovery of human remains that set off a firestorm of questions about a possible link to Guthrie developed during an agonizing, monthslong search for the beloved mother. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026

The group’s predictions are nightmarish and agonizing to even contemplate. — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Two Elmwood jail inmates were convicted at trial of murdering another inmate in a vicious gang beating that was executed over the course of 11 agonizing minutes, and went undetected even as it was recorded on surveillance cameras. — Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026

There is, on the surface, no part of this that seems to be anything other than agonizing. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of agonize

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above