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
Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Through 77 minutes and 32 agonizing seconds in Game 6, the Penguins couldn’t score.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Adjective
After that, in agonizing real time, the Mets became both an epic and embarrassing financial disaster, even for somebody with pockets as deep as Steve Cohen’s.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Through 77 minutes and 32 agonizing seconds in Game 6, the Penguins couldn’t score.
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 30 Apr. 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
In her second memoir, Keaton still admits to agonizing over her thinning hair.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
His two more physical characters were delightful to watch, like a navy admiral addicted to spit takes, as well as a substitute teacher subjecting his students to painful dancing.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
-
The global outbreak of the coronavirus and its painful memories are very much at the forefront of peoples minds here in Tenerife, where local leaders have vehemently contested the disembarkation, and some of the local population has gathered in protest over the past few days.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The spiritual experience helped her process a traumatic history rooted in death and suffering.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
And out of that suffering comes spiritual growth.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
What The Dark Wizard does differently is grapple with Potter’s impenetrability without being able to resolve it, and consider how that indecision might change our perceptions of his life and his May 2015 death while BASE jumping in Yosemite.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
The California governor’s race remains characterized by chaos and low voter engagement despite significant scandals and drama, with widespread indecision affecting both parties as election day approaches less than 50 days away.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Having regulations put into place through this upcoming legislation is a win for both sides, especially if the overall revenue problems plaguing college athletics can at least be solved.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire, these are the extreme measures Altadena residents are taking to deal with a host of toxic compounds, including arsenic and asbestos, plaguing their families and properties.—
Aarne Heikkila,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
As soon as Blanck started teaching in Santa Monica, Read brought his quiet, grieving son back to class.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The grieving families were bussed along a levee road near the crash site, a compassionate move by the responders.—
Hank Tester,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The scheme has been so successful, law enforcement has created a joint FBI-National Security Division task force to disrupt the operations and have dealt a series of harsh prison terms to American accomplices who have willingly aided the North Koreans.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
To fully embody her OnlyFans persona, an earthside alien named The Hungry Ghost, who offers mild nudity and harsh criticism of her willing subscribers’ genitalia.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sixteen months after leaving Wolves following a torturous end to a once-promising tenure, O’Neil has set about rebuilding his coaching career in the unlikely surroundings of France’s Ligue 1.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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