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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonized
Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Rabbi Neil Amswych of Temple Beth Shalom delivered an introspective and agonized message, one that wrestled not only with Israel’s actions but with the very role of the rabbi as public moral voice.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
The second is that the Big Tech platforms have, for years, begrudgingly agonized over content-moderation decisions.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonized
Adjective
Uncertain about where things are headed, companies are reluctant to hire, leaving agonized jobseekers unable to find work and worrying the consumers (70% of U.S. economic activity) whose spending has driven impressive growth for the world’s biggest economy since the COVID-19 disruptions of 2020.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Rabbi Neil Amswych of Temple Beth Shalom delivered an introspective and agonized message, one that wrestled not only with Israel’s actions but with the very role of the rabbi as public moral voice.
—Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Canadian musician had agonized over writing the song in the first place.
—NPR, 6 Nov. 2025
The second is that the Big Tech platforms have, for years, begrudgingly agonized over content-moderation decisions.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonized
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonized
Adjective
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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
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The idea that a leak of any kind must be coming from one of the cast members is something that has plagued many a Housewives season.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Daylilies are sometimes plagued by pests like thrips, slugs, aphids, Japanese beetles, and spider mites.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Users of both Replika and GPT-4o, an older model offered within ChatGPT, have grieved when technical changes caused their bots to lose memories or otherwise shift their behavior.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The sentiment was echoed across social media, as many grieved the loss of a long-operating part of American amusement park history.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The Fitzgerald's final moments shrouded in mystery, Lightfoot's mournful song, the number of lives lost, and the size of the ship alone led her to quickly become the most famous shipwreck in Michigan.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.—
James Frater,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Brady mourned the loss of Lua, which came just a year after his public divorce from wife and supermodel Gisele Bundchen.—
Andrew McCarty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Ladd mourned her husband's death by posting a screenshot from The Hollywood Reporter story that announced the news.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As the title suggests, the book details Turner's tale of a heartbroken widower who became an unlikely senior-citizen TV star on the first season of the reality show, which ended with an engagement to Nist.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
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Thomas told the outlet that her brother’s diagnosis left their family heartbroken.—
Vanessa Etienne,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Lakers were down LeBron James, afflicted by nerve pain.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonized. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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