anguish

1 of 2

noun

an·​guish ˈaŋ-gwish 

: extreme pain, distress, or anxiety

cries of anguish

mental anguish

anguish

2 of 2

verb

anguished; anguishing; anguishes

intransitive verb

: to suffer anguish

He anguished over his failure.

transitive verb

: to cause to suffer anguish

a heart that had been anguished with sorrow

Synonyms

Noun

• distress
• agony
• pain
• misery
• discomfort

Verb

• plague
• persecute
• afflict
• torture
• torment

Choose the Right Synonym for anguish

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of anguish in a Sentence

Noun

He experienced the anguish of divorce after 10 years of marriage.

They watched in anguish as fire spread through the house.

Verb

she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war

I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To date, Operation UNITED has resulted in 33 positive identifications of people whose disappearance had left family members in anguish. —Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 16 June 2025

Even so, the movie’s forceful visual shocks (executed mostly with practical effects) are easier to bear than its restlessly mounting anguish. —Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times, 29 May 2025

Verb

The senator from New Jersey and the governor of Kentucky both urged Democrats from around Florida to restore their party’s image, offered prescriptions for a resurgence, and inspired inspiration for party activists anguished about what’s happening under President Donald Trump. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2025

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said he and his wife, Erika Prosper, are anguished over the loss of life and hope anyone missing is found safe. —Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English angoise, angwissche, borrowed from Anglo-French anguisse, angoisse, going back to Latin angustia (usually in plural angustiae) "narrowness, narrow passage, limitations, straits" (Late Latin, "suffering, distress"), noun derivative (with -ia -y entry 2), of angustus "narrow, confined, straitened," probably from *angos- (whence angōr-, angor "suffocation, anguish") + *-to-, adjective suffix — more at anger entry 1

Verb

Middle English anguisen, anguischen "to grieve, be distressed," borrowed from Anglo-French anguisser, angoisser "to distress, cause pain to, (as reflexive verb) suffer, be tormented," going back to Late Latin angustiāre "to compress, afflict, be in difficult circumstances," derivative of Latin angustia "narrowness, straits" — more at anguish entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for anguish

• languish

Kids Definition

anguish

noun

an·​guish

ˈaŋ-gwish

: extreme pain or distress of body or mind

anguished

-gwisht

adjective