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 suffering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision
Related Words
Dissimilar 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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonizing
Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The historical drama centers on the agonizing boardroom debate over when to launch D-Day, that critical WWII gamechanger that saw Allies flexing their might in Europe and delivering a huge blow to the Nazis.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Since then, Arsenal has flirted with a series of agonizing near misses, most notably pipped at the post by Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Adjective
Breen called the 1994 NBA Finals on New York radio when the Knicks lost to the Houston Rockets in an agonizing seven games.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 29 May 2026
The historical drama centers on the agonizing boardroom debate over when to launch D-Day, that critical WWII gamechanger that saw Allies flexing their might in Europe and delivering a huge blow to the Nazis.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
Noun
My agonizing over a coin toss illustrates the basic distortion that gambling exerts on spectating.
—Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
The parents who keep looking for him, agonizing over his health.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Mar. 2026
Since then, Arsenal has flirted with a series of agonizing near misses, most notably pipped at the post by Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Premier League campaigns.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
He’s gone through the painful, laborious and expensive process of having his tattoos removed.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
Like Sasse, most people in the trial experienced a rash (though just 15% had a severe case), and over half had nausea or painful sores in their mouths and throats.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Freeman is seeking unspecified monetary damages for alleged violations of her constitutional rights, damage to her reputation, and pain and suffering, according to her claim.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
Oral disease is linked to diabetes, cardiovascular illness, pregnancy complications, school absenteeism, lost wages, and preventable suffering.—
Jean Paul Laurent,
Time,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
But with all the indecision of this primary election, many were finding comfort in delivering their votes in person.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
This can look like instability or indecision from the outside.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Overall, the vibes at SGF 2026 were markedly up compared to those from last year and 2024, when layoffs plaguing the industry and multiple game cancellations and releases were the main topics of conversation.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Mass tourism, rising sea levels, and scorching temperatures have been plaguing the unique Italian city.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
The Four Seasons star, 33, caught up with PEOPLE about the second season of the Netflix comedy and reprising her role as Ginny, the grieving new mom who grapples with complicated friendship dynamics and accepting change after the death of her boyfriend Nick (Steve Carell).—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
-
That does not mean that Spier is immune from grieving.—
Brad Quick,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ikutiminu, who will attend UC Irvine in the fall, even spoke with musicians about how to create a sound that would be less harsh than the vuvuzela.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
Without toxic acids Tripathi’s breakthrough eliminates the harsh chemicals.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
International human rights leaders have condemned nitrogen hypoxia as experimental, violent and potentially torturous.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The execution method, which involves strapping a respirator onto the inmate's face and replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death by lack of oxygen, has been criticized by opponents as inhumane and torturous.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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