AGONIZE Synonyms: 136 Similar and Opposite Words

agonize

verb

ˈa-gə-ˌnīz

Definition of agonize

as in to persecute

to cause persistent suffering to got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to grieve

to feel deep sadness or mental pain agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of agonize Les Snead agonized over including defensive rookie of the year Jared Verse in the trade for Myles Garrett, but ultimately decided to make the move. — Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026 To your point, agonizing about everything isn’t doing me any favors. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 People often agonize over how to ask for a raise at work, trying to determine when to speak up and how to make their case. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 12 May 2026 Her ex-husband, a good father, refuses to move the boy to the town and Eden agonizes about taking the boy from his friends and school in the Twin Cities. — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agonize

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonize

Verb

Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
The Tates have denied all allegations and have claimed they are being persecuted for their views.

— Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecute

Verb

But that’s what endears him to his fans, who appreciate the chthonic split between the aerial skate aesthete and the grieving empath.

— Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Father Joe himself certainly has the backstory for it, being a war veteran who married an Asian woman who died young and lost his grieving daughter to an overdose.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of grieve

Verb

Safety and crowding concerns will continue to plague the uptown jail when Jail North reopens to alleviate conditions, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden warned late Friday.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2026
Jackson broke his foot last training camp when a teammate stepped on it during practice, and that injury plagued him all of 2025 and required an offseason procedure that kept him sidelined during OTAs and minicamp.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of plague

Verb

But for thousands who still mourn, especially in the New York region on the 25th anniversary, such fundamental concerns about identifying the victims, counting the dead and finding the culprits is the equivalent of an open wound.

— Mike Kelly, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
However, tragedy strikes after a medical emergency, leaving the staff to mourn him during the Fourth of July shift.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of mourn

Verb

The painful condition, which causes tissue similar to the lining of the uterus to grow on other parts of the body, afflicts 1 in 10 women worldwide.

— Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Unraveling Medical Mysteries Patients with undiagnosed conditions suffer not only from their symptoms but also from the uncertainly of not knowing what afflicts them.

— The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of afflict

Verb

But comparisons aside, this is unmistakably a Lee Chang-dong film, its aching humanism reflecting the co-existence of despair and hope.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
West Nile symptoms A full 80% of those infected may not show symptoms, but 20% have flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, rash or fatigue.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of ache

Verb

Ontario County First Assistant District Attorney James Nobles told the court that Arzuaga was at the center of the group accused of torturing Nordquist to death.

— Madison Scott, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Before long, much of the world’s empathy for America, which had been widespread in the wake of the attacks, dissipated, facilitated by the emergence of photos showing US soldiers abusing and torturing Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib facility.

— David Friend, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of torture

Verb

By the 11th game of the third set, Keys was hitting herself in the head with her racket, taking her cap off and sighing deep breaths that were either meant to steady her or out of exasperation.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Layered background sighs, a resonant lead vocal, autumnal acoustic guitar flickers, synths both eerie and trippy—James has all his tricks on tap.

— Ryan Leas, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of sigh

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agonistic

agonize

agonized

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“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonize. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of agonize

verb

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