as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
agonizingly made the decision to have her beloved cat put to sleep
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Recent Examples of agonizingly
By online standards, though, the wait to bring charges—just a few days—was agonizingly long, and Dhillon complained on X about MAGA supporters heckling her to move faster.
—
Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Instead, we’re treated to a series of agonizingly torpid scenes in which Nita and her co-workers are incepted by the power of Adam’s fiction, which comes to assume the force of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
One hundred days is an agonizingly long time for a family to go without answers about their missing loved one.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 12 May 2026
But the rollouts were agonizingly slow.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026
There’s something agonizingly beautiful in waiting—in longing, in steadfast desire.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The Toronto Blue Jays were agonizingly, excruciatingly close to a World Series triumph.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Hammed Animashaun also delivered a cutting take on film junkets with agonizingly enthusiastic influencer interviewers.
—Scott Bryan, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
But the show, with its scenes at Jefferton’s many buffets, live-action TV cutaways (married news anchors Jan and Wayne Skylar make their first appearance here), and ear for agonizingly awkward small talk, is as floridly Tim and Eric as any of their later projects.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
Instead, we’re treated to a series of agonizingly torpid scenes in which Nita and her co-workers are incepted by the power of Adam’s fiction, which comes to assume the force of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
One hundred days is an agonizingly long time for a family to go without answers about their missing loved one.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 12 May 2026
But the rollouts were agonizingly slow.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026
There’s something agonizingly beautiful in waiting—in longing, in steadfast desire.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The Toronto Blue Jays were agonizingly, excruciatingly close to a World Series triumph.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Hammed Animashaun also delivered a cutting take on film junkets with agonizingly enthusiastic influencer interviewers.
—Scott Bryan, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026
But the show, with its scenes at Jefferton’s many buffets, live-action TV cutaways (married news anchors Jan and Wayne Skylar make their first appearance here), and ear for agonizingly awkward small talk, is as floridly Tim and Eric as any of their later projects.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizingly
Adverb
-
After Adele and her mother had fought, bitterly, about her decision to keep the baby, and then more bitterly about her refusal to find Jamie in Florida and demand child support, Bromley invited her to live with him while things cooled down at home.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
During the Nullification Crisis of 1831–1833, partisan journalists had a major role in framing the issue and were bitterly opposed to one another, especially in South Carolina.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
When Manny Fernandez passed away quietly at age 79 this week at his home in a small Georgia town called Ellaville, a subtle-yet-seismic shift occurred — mostly symbolic, but still sadly notable.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2026
-
Remarkably, sadly, the world is silent.—
Michael Arkush,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
Many are now unlearning that belief—slowly, painfully.—
Jasmine Browley,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
Retail giants and small firms alike say refunds are crucial for cutting prices, paying debts and staying afloat, even as many complain that payments are arriving painfully slowly.—
Mae Anderson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Fernando has no such accidents despite hitting the ball hard.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
-
The couple hard-launched their relationship in 2019 with their first red carpet appearance at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in LA.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
Things are getting hot in Kayce's love life, even after the widower mournfully visits the East Camp memorial to his beloved wife, Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
-
For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonizingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizingly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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