agonizing 1 of 3

adjective

ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ How to pronounce agonizing (audio)
Definition of agonizingnext
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

agonizing

2 of 3

noun

1
as in suffering

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

agonizing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of agonize
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

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 agonizing
Adjective
Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. — CBS News, 29 Oct. 2026 In her book, Dawood writes about an investigator telling her not to go down the agonizing road of hindsight. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 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
To your point, agonizing about everything isn’t doing me any favors. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 Even a lot of contemporary fiction, where the scenario of characters agonizing over whether to have children has become quite common, defaults to a laconic style (very short paragraphs separated by empty space, for example) that channels the familiar wariness about lushness. — Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
  1. painful
  2. wrenching
  3. suffering
  4. indecision
  5. plaguing
  6. grieving
  7. harsh
  8. torturous
Adjective
  • No matter how painful, facing the truth is the only way true progress can begin.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
  • His death is devastating and a painful reminder that the crisis documented in our film continues.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Richard Ables guided families through one of life’s most wrenching rituals at the historic Hall Brothers Funeral Home.
    — Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2026
  • After a quiet episode focused on Hal Jordan’s passing, Lanterns’s penultimate chapter deepens the mystery in surprising and wrenching ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Noun
  • Instead, supporters argue that wearing both colors can recognize military sacrifice while acknowledging the suffering of civilians and other victims of conflict.
    — Rich Percival, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Her short stories, novels and memoirs have earned acclaim and accolades over the past two decades, but Li, who teaches at Princeton University, has also experienced almost indescribable suffering as well.
    — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of suffering
Noun
  • Outside of the soup, a daily breakfast and lunch menu of fresh regional dishes, served on a strict schedule in the main parlor, makes indecision obsolete.
    — Bridget Knowles, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Nov. 2026
  • The angst — and the indecision — comes as frustrated Republicans are just beginning to reckon with what the election results mean for their future.
    — Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of indecision
Verb
  • The Cyberarts Studio Academy in Brooklyn was on the verge of closing, with absenteeism and a low graduation rate plaguing its students just four years ago.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Gallagher has also sought to tie McGuire to cost-of-living problems plaguing Californians, such as the price of gasoline and housing.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of plaguing
Verb
  • This is really a lovely, meaningful approach to grieving, self-healing and to creating space where people can meditate and breathe and feel connected.
    — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
  • For people like us grieving the passing of a furry friend, and others who have a fondness for dogs but not be ready to own one, programs like Barks & Recreation can serve a valuable purpose.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of grieving
Adjective
  • The advances in the solar tracker industry also make solar power more efficient in areas with land constraints and harsh terrains, increasing the potential geography of the business.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2026
  • The dense evergreen branches also provide valuable shelter from harsh weather.
    — Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 14 Nov. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • But even if passengers end up arriving on time, airline officials and industry experts acknowledge the wait can be torturous.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Panahi subsequently traveled widely to promote the drama, which centers around an outpouring of strong feelings by a group of former prisoners toward a torturous guard and stems from his incarceration.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of torturous

Browse Nearby Words

agonizes
agonizing
agonizingly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of lissome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All