1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
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
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
The attendance bounce that Super Mario and company gave Universal Studios Hollywood with the opening of Super Nintendo World evaporated like a fleeting high score in a video game as the movie theme park suffered an agonizing loss in the latest industry rankings.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
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
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
-
If Redania doesn’t rise to oppose the evils plaguing the Continent, who will?—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The eyesore property has become a visible metaphor for the city’s retail challenges and general setbacks plaguing the Green Line, the Midway and the once-promising University Avenue business corridor.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Hours before Wednesday's game against the Halifax Macs, the Nova Scotia U-18 Major Hockey League announced on X that Marchand and Andrew Bodnarchuk will cover for the grieving father as guest coaches.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Sis, the grieving cat in the clip, was already part of the family and is actually about a year older than Mama.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The dissonance between their bacchanalian ritual and Adelaida’s silent, solitary suffering is marked, and the disrespect for the dead further underlined when a gravedigger tersely shoos her away from the graveside, reminding her that the area is unsafe, especially at nightfall.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
-
While Zwerner’s pain and suffering have taken center stage in this trial, the upcoming criminal trial would be more likely to touch on what action Parker failed to take, given her duty to protect children, Brown said.—
Cindy Von Quednow,
CNN Money,
31 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
-
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 3 Nov. 2025.
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