agonized 1 of 2

adjective

ˈa-gə-ˌnīzd How to pronounce agonized (audio)
Definition of agonizednext
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning one look at his agonized, tearful eyes and it was clear that something was terribly wrong

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

agonized

2 of 2

verb

past tense of agonize
1
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieved
to feel deep sadness or mental pain agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing

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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 agonized
Adjective
An agonized woman, writhing and coughing and gnarled by disease, is found in a field on the edge of town. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026 His character in The Narrow Road to the Deep North could not be further from that, and his believability as an agonized Japanese major struggling with his orders is a sign of Kasamatsu’s broadening range. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
Cristobal agonized for days about what to do. — CBS News, 14 Jan. 2026 The Look An admittedly anxious and insecure person, Keaton agonized about her looks from an early age. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for agonized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonized
  1. weeping
  2. plagued
  3. grieved
  4. mournful
  5. persecuted
  6. mourned
  7. heartbroken
  8. afflicted
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • Committee delays The county formed a committee, the Advisory Meeting on Public School Capacity, that was supposed to figure out how to fix the problem, but it's been plagued by delays filling its seats and only met for the first time last month.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • His stint with the Bills was plagued by injuries and a Dallas domestic violence case that led to a four-game suspension.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • The family grieved quietly, rarely speaking to one another about what happened, Phan said.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • We are further grieved by continuing violence and instability in the Middle East, including the recent conflict involving Iran and its widening humanitarian consequences.
    — Killingly-Brooklyn Interfaith Council, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
Definition of grieved
Adjective
  • Since his siblings were crying with the same mournful expression, clinging to their father’s corpse, Shoichiro willed himself to cry too, and the tears came immediately.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s something mournful, something searching about his statement, too.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
Definition of mournful
Verb
  • Many Marranos persecuted by the Inquisition did secretly maintain a Jewish identity.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Since mutants are often feared and persecuted, Professor Charles Xavier, one of the most powerful telepaths in the comics canon, opens a School for Gifted Youngsters as a safe haven for young wayward mutants.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Verb
  • Following her sudden death, Panettiere’s Nashville castmates — among her other costars and peers — mourned the actress.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Friends and colleagues mourned Panettiere’s death on social media.
    — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of mourned
Adjective
  • The mysterious death of a missing New York City grandmother whose body was found in a drainage ditch outside a Las Vegas airport has left her family with more questions than answers, heartbroken relatives said Saturday.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Shuter also revealed that Ragland is heartbroken at the thought of her daughter being so far away.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Verb
  • Those afflicted would tremble and jerk around, lose the ability to stand or swallow, and, after many months of slow suffering, die.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Repeat this process once the soil has dried again, until affected plants are no longer afflicted with pests.
    — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of afflicted

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Cite this Entry

“Agonized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonized. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of agonized for Spanish Speakers

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