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
But the worldwide attention made the Republican leadership rethink the possibility of a political strategy to gain Irish freedom, and the wheels toward a political solution began grinding slowly, agonizingly slowly, toward peace.
—
Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
The Democratic Party has held the governor’s mansion since 1985, including one agonizingly close election that is widely regarded by local Republicans to have been stolen.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Many of them leaned into generative AI and LLMs during their schooling, often doing so on their own since the university was either silent on the matter or was agonizingly trying to figure out what role AI should have in the medical education arena.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Philip Metres
august 27, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2025
The Democratic Party has held the governor’s mansion since 1985, including one agonizingly close election that is widely regarded by local Republicans to have been stolen.
—Jeremy Lott, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
Many of them leaned into generative AI and LLMs during their schooling, often doing so on their own since the university was either silent on the matter or was agonizingly trying to figure out what role AI should have in the medical education arena.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizingly
Adverb
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Tom’s final epiphany related to his estranged son isn’t earned, but not because of Ruffalo; his performance cuts a fine line between bitterly self-destructive and warmly spiritual.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly blocked traffic and emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main perpetrator.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The fates of so many were decided on the 1969 day when a dashing and sadly underestimated 25-year-old Colonel Qaddafi seized power from the monarchy in a matter of hours and promised a new golden era, inspired by Egypt’s President Nasser.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
2 Sep. 2025
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Several months after sadly losing her childhood cat in 2023, Hannah Powell felt ready to open her heart to a rescue cat in need of a home.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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There was a recognition Amorim’s predecessors had assembled a painfully lopsided squad, while the club had lacked a football structure since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013.—
Dan Cancian,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adverb
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That looks like a different Caleb Williams to me, so Ben Johnson's coached him hard this offseason.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The mixer's bowl boasts a distinctive walnut shade and wood grain pattern, and its food-safe seal means the bowl works hard (and looks good doing it).—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonizingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizingly. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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