1
as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
waiting all those hours to hear if he'd survived the plane crash was pure agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the agony of never knowing what happened to her son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonies
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonies
Noun
-
Yenor’s suggestion that feminism—with its attendant horrors of work outside the home, birth control, and financial independence—has made women neurotic and dependent on pharmaceuticals is now an article of faith on the right.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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While the camera is locked into Dua’s perspective, the world outside her peripheral vision changes radically in ways we aren’t allowed to see; the corner of the frame practically become a venue from which to intuit horrors.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Ebola causes a hemorrhagic fever, with symptoms that start with fever, aches, pains and fatigue before progressing to diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding, according to the public health agency.—
Zachary Folk,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
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But in the four years between the two terms, Xi had taken pains to ensure this tactic would no longer work, with export controls on rare earth metals that are indispensable to American arms manufacturers and carmakers.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Herrero also sought to use practical effects throughout the film, including gunfire and explosions, often enhanced with visual effects.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
16 May 2026
-
Rubin, with the exquisite detail of its images, is well placed to find these types of events, in which stars disappear in explosions that can be too faint for other surveys to see.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The nightmares stopped after he was released in March; the government had conceded that he and others had likely been arrested unlawfully.—
Melissa Sanchez,
ProPublica,
13 May 2026
-
My green dreams were now caterpillar nightmares.—
Emily Bryn Williams,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Like any public hearing, there were a few jokers who had some strange outbursts, but the majority of the over a dozen speakers weren’t satisfied with Gower’s presentation and used their times to ask questions of the owners as to what has taken so long with this project.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
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Until then, neighbors will have to deal with the man's outbursts.—
Lauren Pozen,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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For those millions of Americans, spring weather brings sniffles, itchy eyes, asthma exacerbation, and other miseries, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to serious medical emergencies.—
Keerti Gopal,
ArsTechnica,
8 May 2026
Noun
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The discordant, Bernard Herrmann-esque bursts of María Portugal’s rich score ratchet up the suspense and foreboding.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
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We were immediately greeted by a resplendence of wildflowers, including purple-pink woolly bluecurls, bright orange southern bush monkey flower, red bursts of cardinal catchfly and at least one Catalina Mariposa lily.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
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The bleak tortures Ohm concocts for his characters are as vile as the Bilberry’s fetid jacuzzi.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.—
Nazanin Boniadi,
Time,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonies. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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