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
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
And even under ideal conditions, clearing mines is agonizingly slow.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The three are sheltering in place at an Airbnb in Dubai, with an uncertain timeline of returning home — and a big disruption to the agonizingly slow immigration process.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The crowd turned electric, belting nearly every agonizingly confessional lyric.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2026
The Sailors, who were making their first appearance in a Southern Section final, had numerous scoring opportunities and came agonizingly close to scoring several times.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
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
And even under ideal conditions, clearing mines is agonizingly slow.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The three are sheltering in place at an Airbnb in Dubai, with an uncertain timeline of returning home — and a big disruption to the agonizingly slow immigration process.
—Emma Hurt, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
The crowd turned electric, belting nearly every agonizingly confessional lyric.
—Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2026
The Sailors, who were making their first appearance in a Southern Section final, had numerous scoring opportunities and came agonizingly close to scoring several times.
—Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizingly
Adverb
-
The trial has dragged on for six years in a case that has bitterly divided the Israeli public.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The eight men at the center of this book shared the common experience of being born before the Civil War, when this country was bitterly divided over slavery.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
If the Premier League’s bottom club hoped to draw a symbolic line under their season from hell with the confirmation of relegation from the Premier League, they were left sadly disappointed by events at Molineux in the first game since their fate was sealed.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Stage star Kelli Barrett, as Bertie, is given far less to work with, sadly.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
That, along with the March trade that sent Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres, would leave them painfully thin down the middle, with little center help coming up through the system.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Vientos’ error ultimately led to just one (unearned) run, but the margins are painfully thin for a Mets team that managed only four hits against four Rockies pitchers in Game 1.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 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
-
Aerate compacted and hard-to-wet lawns.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
-
King Charles' younger sister is known for her tireless drive for royal duty, often ranked among the royal family's hardest-working members by count of official engagements recorded in The Court Circular.—
Janine Henni,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
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
-
Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonizingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizingly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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