SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

in the throes of

Definition of in the throes of

:experiencing (something painful)

She met him while he was in the throes of a messy divorce.

Word by Word Definitions

throe play throes

: pang, spasm
: a hard or painful struggle

See the full definition of throe

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up in the throes of? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

malign

play

to speak evil of

Words at Play

alt-59e673567065d

The History of the Word 'Terrorism'

Noah Webster first entered the term in 1840

alt-59e65152518a6

'Regimen' vs. 'Regiment'

The rule of thumb for words about rules

alt-59e50f5a357b4

'Spox' May Go On The Record

From newsroom lingo to the mainstream

alt-59e506c5c02ae

C'mon, Of Course 'Myriad' Is a Noun

For a myriad of reasons

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

knupfer-painting-solon-before-croesus

Forms of Government Quiz

Name that government! Or something like that.

Take the quiz

rembrandt-painting-a-young-scholar-and-his-tutor

Original Meanings Quiz

A quiz for the pedantic and those annoyed by them!

Take the quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz

Add Diction

Build a chain of words by adding one letter at a time.

Play the game