AGONY Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'agony' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress , misery , and suffering . While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne. // in agony over the death of their child

Q: Where would 'distress' be a reasonable alternative to 'agony'?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress. // the hurricane put everyone in great distress

Q: When is it sensible to use 'misery' instead of 'agony'?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss. // the homeless live with misery every day

Q: When is 'suffering' a more appropriate choice than 'agony'?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress. // the suffering of famine victims

agony

noun

ˈa-gə-nē

Definition of agony

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun agony differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Where would distress be a reasonable alternative to agony?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When is it sensible to use misery instead of agony?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When is suffering a more appropriate choice than agony?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of agony In a world where women endure the impossible to bring new life into the world—holding agony and beauty all at once—shouldn’t women be celebrated for more than just their idealized form and youth? — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Bugs Bunny jams himself against the edge and grits his teeth in agony. — Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 The striking bronze sculpture depicts an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Instead of wailing in agony after sampling the vengefully spiked bird, Prince fell in love with it and founded the BBQ Chicken Shack in 1945. — Ellen Fort, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for agony

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony

Noun

That led to the rest of the tour’s openers and even Sheeran’s backing band for the tour dropping off the tour in solidarity with Macklemore — all of which became a huge news story and PR nightmare for the usually very un-controversial Sheeran.

— Brendan Menapace, Billboard, 20 Sep. 2026
The Texans are supposed to be elite on the defensive side of the ball, but having to face Allen and then Burrow will give any defensive coordinator nightmares.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of nightmare

Noun

In February 2025, a group of Yosemite employees hung an American flag upside down – a symbolic distress call – in response to the staffing cuts.

— Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
However, a Los Angeles judge ruled in April that one intentional infliction of emotional distress claim could proceed, according to court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE.

— Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of distress

Noun

Among the most destructive munitions in Western military arsenals, an MK-84 explosion sends metal fragments in every direction for thousands of feet, can rip through metal and thick concrete, and often creates large craters in the earth.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
The supervisor also will have a say in the county’s defense against a multimillion-dollar lawsuit stemming from the deadly 2025 Esparto fireworks explosion.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of explosion

Noun

Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Giannoulias hasn’t taken a dime from AIPAC — the American Israel Public Affairs Committee — in this campaign, but that didn’t stop the mayor from attempting to tie Giannoulias to the misery in the Middle East.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of misery

Noun

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Their mental anguish, out-of-pocket expenses, the time caregivers devote to their work, the wages lost from forgone work — all create spectacular costs for America’s families.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The outlet reported that Taraneh later told the court that admissions attributed to her had been obtained through torture.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Among them was the revival of medieval doctrines of just war, which subordinated contractual obligations to unilateral claims of moral authority—doctrines that resurfaced during the war on terror to justify pre-emptive attacks and torture.

— Faisal Devji, Time, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of torture

Noun

The patented multi-panel high-rise waistband technology in the leggings boosts muscle memory in core, glutes, and spine for instant alignment, stability, support and pain relief.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Because the underlying mechanisms driving this persistent pain are unknown, treatment options are centered on relieving symptoms but largely fall short.

— Andrew Bubak, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of pain

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agonizingly

agony

agrarian

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“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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