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
People starving in their rooms, knowing that to go outside meant something worse than the agony of hunger.
—
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The wife ushers the two frightened boys behind her, and watches on helplessly as her husband screams in agony and terror, thrashing his arms and legs.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Please, more of Isabella lightly teasing Marty about his tendency to flagellate himself while considering the agony of the human condition.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Aches and pains don’t compare to the agony of an unrealized dream.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The wife ushers the two frightened boys behind her, and watches on helplessly as her husband screams in agony and terror, thrashing his arms and legs.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Please, more of Isabella lightly teasing Marty about his tendency to flagellate himself while considering the agony of the human condition.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Aches and pains don’t compare to the agony of an unrealized dream.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony
Noun
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Fallibility is written into our genetic code, and refereeing is basically a nightmare now for everyone involved.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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But more than just a topical procedural thriller, the film also plays out like a Kafka novel about endless invasions of privacy and assumptions of malicious intent that converge to form a modern nightmare.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Certain symptoms that signaled addictive food behavior were also more common among women, like inability to decrease intake, greater cravings and distress about their consumption.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
11 Nov. 2025
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Roughly half of all low-income countries are in or near debt distress, which can significantly exacerbate food insecurity.—
ARIF HUSAIN,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Local media also reported that several explosions were heard before the fire began.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
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Jonathan Taylor’s offensive explosion helped push the Indianapolis Colts past the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first NFL regular-season game in Berlin, 31-25, in overtime.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Mamdani, 34, is a charismatic socialist who has limited experience in the private sector and seems utterly unconcerned about his guiding philosophy’s long track record of creating misery.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Beyond the outright annihilation of people and the considerable trauma that brought onto people, leftist regimes inflicted considerable misery in myriad other ways.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
No adolescent defiance or child’s anguish was visible on his face now.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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Some critics called for more editorial discipline in the film, or found Lawrence’s onscreen spin cycle of anguish, which involves literally clawing her way up walls or flinging herself through glass doors, to be repetitive.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the generally mild outlook, meteorologists are watching key atmospheric factors that could create bursts of intense snow, like expected next week when an early-season lake-effect snow is expected to impact the Great Lakes.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Comedian and actress Atsuko Okatsuka opened the ceremony with a burst of laughter and energy.—
Ryma Chikhoune,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Horrific torture videos are currently circulating on social media — and being sent to families around the world.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The overwhelming majority of experts dispute that torture actually works as an interrogation technique, arguing that any information that comes out of it is unreliable as people under duress will say anything needed to convince their torturers to stop.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said after the match that the Argentina international had asked to be substituted due to his pain.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The red sole is a visible pain endured for the privilege of being seen enduring it.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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