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

These were long, agonizing deaths marked by intolerable pain and hopelessness. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026

And while digital boards are fun to look at and can hook new audiences, an unexpected pause for buffering displays can be agonizing as the counts keep coming in. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026

Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. — CBS News, 29 Oct. 2026

Many of those wins have been agonizing for the Bears to endure like when TCU upset a top-10 Baylor squad in 2021 or when the Horned Frogs scored a walk-off field goal the very next season in Waco to keep their undefeated season alive. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of agonize

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above