as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
one look at his agonized, tearful eyes and it was clear that something was terribly wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in plagued
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 agonized
Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
This time, Trump was not the subject of agonized debate among the billionaires.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Cassidy agonized about supporting Kennedy’s confirmation due to his record of anti-vaccine views, but ultimately cast the deciding vote for the nomination to advance out of committee after receiving assurances about vaccine policy.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonized
Adjective
Those waiting to hear whether their houses have burned are living in agonized dread.
—Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
This time, Trump was not the subject of agonized debate among the billionaires.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
The second is that the Big Tech platforms have, for years, begrudgingly agonized over content-moderation decisions.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Cassidy agonized about supporting Kennedy’s confirmation due to his record of anti-vaccine views, but ultimately cast the deciding vote for the nomination to advance out of committee after receiving assurances about vaccine policy.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonized
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
Verb
-
However, the Memphis Police Department has disputed the narrative that the city is plagued by crime.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Located across a causeway from downtown Miami and overlooking Biscayne Bay, the park was beloved by those who grew up visiting the landmark, but plagued by persistent animal welfare complaints.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This very publication grieved its untimely passing.—
Li Goldstein,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As the investigation into the plane crash continues, the country music world grieved the loss of a musical legend.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Walt Disney Imagineering updated the storyline of Black Widow Bride Constance Hatchway earlier this year by turning her from an axe murderer who beheads her wealthy husbands into a more mournful figure overwhelmed by the dread of lost love.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
In this context, even a simple boast about wielding a Beretta sounded mournful.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
-
This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Alomar played for six teams during his MLB tenure, and many of them, including the New York Yankees, mourned the loss of one of their own.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Community members at the time cried and mourned as their hopes of rehabilitating and reopening the historic structure were reduced to ashes.—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Actually, more than mad, the guy is heartbroken.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Among those heartbroken fans was DJ Premier, who was one of the first people to comment on his passing.—
Mackenzie Cummings-Grady,
Billboard,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The Lakers were down LeBron James, afflicted by nerve pain.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The narrative takes a darker turn when a family member becomes supernaturally afflicted after witnessing a death, prompting a desperate search for spiritual intervention.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonized. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share