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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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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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
Her endless screams and sobs echo back to the agonized wailing of The Mist’s David Drayton, who murdered his child and friends for nothing. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026 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
Verb
Some 36,000 fans at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, and many more tuning in on radio and television, agonized through one of the fall classic’s wildest and most emotional conclusions. — ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026 Some 36,000 fans at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, and many more tuning in on radio and television, agonized through one of the Fall Classic’s wildest and most emotional conclusions. — Hillel Italie, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026 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
  • Leo's packed three-day itinerary in Uruguay includes a visit to a neighborhood plagued by gang violence, a Mass in Paysandú, around 230 miles from the capital, and another Mass in the city of Florida, about 60 miles from Montevideo.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Cybertruck was plagued from the get-go – from promises of its release in the late 2010s to its eventual rollout in 2023.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of plagued
Verb
  • The couple’s lawyer told the judge that the Mitchells grieved the loss of Ginnifer and loved Evelyn.
    — Noelle Crombie, ProPublica, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Sacramento police confirmed the theft, canvassed neighborhoods and tracked leads as Old North Sacramento grieved its loss.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of grieved
Adjective
  • Unfortunately, the disembodied feet on my aunt’s staircase were my last spectral sighting and the mournful whistling was my last haunting.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Verb
  • The Paxton campaign decried the reporting, without denying it, while saying he had been politically persecuted.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Another mentioned Uganda, or any country that persecuted gays.
    — Ben Ryder Howe, Air Mail, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of persecuted
Verb
  • For decades, two families in Washington County, Pennsylvania, mourned their daughters while the answer to who killed them remained a mystery.
    — Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Described as gentle and thoughtful, Odeh sought to find common ground with those who supposedly were his enemy and, as a result, his death was as mourned by the local Jewish community as by his loved ones.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of mourned
Adjective
  • The heartbroken dad wasn’t home when the child fell out the window.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The death of Sir Patrick Stewart has left Hollywood heartbroken as his co-stars, colleagues, and fellow actors recall rare encounters, days on set, and priceless advice the acting legend shared with them.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Verb
  • The margin was so wide that issues that afflicted Republicans’ electoral chances elsewhere in the country, including high gas prices and the Iran war, didn’t substantially harm Tuberville.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Calle 13 became famous not just for its edgy rap and urban music, but also for loudly calling out the economic and social inequalities that afflicted Puerto Rico.
    — Helena Alonso Paisley, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2026.

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