1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
waiting all those hours to hear if he'd survived the plane crash was pure agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the agony of never knowing what happened to her son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agony
The agony is still fresh for Katie and Clarke Baker, whose 8-year-old daughter Mary Grace perished in the flooding.
—
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the camaraderie of being among other adults who left the house in full face paint.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
As Kramer captured it, their bone-and-muscle-crunching agony, like Lombardi’s coaching, was all part of a higher calling.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Apatow and Feig infused the show with their own adolescent agony.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Holly Yan, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025
The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the camaraderie of being among other adults who left the house in full face paint.
—Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
As Kramer captured it, their bone-and-muscle-crunching agony, like Lombardi’s coaching, was all part of a higher calling.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Sep. 2025
Apatow and Feig infused the show with their own adolescent agony.
—Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony
Noun
-
Penn State’s season turns into a nightmare This is an unfathomable result for the Nittany Lions, who just eight days ago were considered national championship contenders.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
But, for the region, the two-year nightmare may finally be nearing an end.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Get alerts if the system detects acute distress.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Just continue to watch for any signs of distress, and if something else develops, see a vet.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One officer on the scene advised reporters to move back, saying there was a small possibility of an explosion.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
-
One officer on scene advised news media to move back, saying there was a small possibility of an explosion.—
Andrea May Sahouri,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The ongoing misery in Charlotte prompted a popular Panthers-centric podcast to throw in the towel.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
But aid agencies say that Israel’s intensification of the war, particularly around Gaza City, has compounded the misery faced by Palestinians.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Garner watches his anguish, with respect.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Although many questions remain, the few answers the Vaneks have, however tenuous, serve as an antidote to the anguish of never knowing.—
Ted Katauskas,
Outside,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Its approach to comedy is ripped straight from the world of musical cast parties and improv shows, with every performer doing their best to turn every line into a GIF-able burst of wholesome self-deprecation.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
-
This simple yet powerful step turned noisy, unreliable photon signals into clean bursts of single photons — a breakthrough for future quantum technologies.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The killing involved a lengthy beating and torture.—
Evan Mealins,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Under Venezuela’s constitution, such a declaration allows the government to suspend some guarantees for up to 90 days, renewable once, though basic rights such as life and protection from torture remain in place.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Sesame oil is high in antioxidants that may help decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease, along with reducing joint pain related to arthritis.—
Susan Selasky,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Her pain and her grief can’t be hers alone.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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