1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
died an agonizing death
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in suffering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonizing
Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
As the boy’s family seeks justice, the teacher confronts an agonizing reckoning with guilt and the corrosive power of authority.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Playoff roster decisions are agonizing for every Major League Baseball front office, but the Toronto Blue Jays are dealing with some particularly tough calls this year.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Verb
For those who lack access to medical supervision, Kahler said, the safest course is to proceed with an agonizing level of caution.
—Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
As the boy’s family seeks justice, the teacher confronts an agonizing reckoning with guilt and the corrosive power of authority.
—Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
As a result, the sort of trade talks and deals that Vancouver is currently exploring, weighing and even agonizing about in advance of the season are of a different variety entirely.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Playoff roster decisions are agonizing for every Major League Baseball front office, but the Toronto Blue Jays are dealing with some particularly tough calls this year.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
The murder scene was so gruesome and painful to process that the community simply burnt the house down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jordan Shamir, co-founder and CEO of Yofi AI, said fraud and theft continue to be major issues plaguing brands and retailers of all sizes.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Politicians on both sides of the aisle widely condemned the attack, one of several high-profile acts of political violence plaguing the United States in recent years.—
Matt Lavietes,
NBC news,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Now, her parents are grieving the loss of their daughter.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Created by Goldstein, Segel and Bill Lawrence, Shrinking centers on the life of Jimmy Liard (played by Segel), a grieving therapist who decides to give his clients his honest opinion instead of listening to their feelings and remaining removed from their lives.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Eastern State is just one of the troubling historical locations grappling with how to celebrate Halloween, educate visitors and acknowledge the real-life suffering that happened.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Franklin Graham said that kind of investment was necessary given the scope of human suffering seen in Gaza and Israel.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Every month of indecision narrowed his window for successfully transitioning.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Simple can be better for those of us who struggle with indecision or prefer a minimalist aesthetic.—
Architectural Digest,
Architectural Digest,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
According to the woman, her parents’ reasoning for denying her requests was rooted in a harsh lesson about independence.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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Instead of buying special cleaners or reaching for harsh chemicals to clean around your home, look to your medicine cabinet for a solution.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hiking through the deep snow drifts above 26,000 feet is torturous and time consuming.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Bertino’s chamber piece unfolds over one torturous night and will be exclusive to Paramount’s streaming platform following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in September.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The former human-rights lawyer entered on a tourist visa and filed for political asylum in October of that year, claiming the governments that succeeded Correa were persecuting him.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
-
For 25 years, Chavism has co-opted Venezuela's infrastructure for its own enrichment, persecuting journalists and opposition, wrecking the economy, and leaving its citizens in poverty.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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