1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
as a new teacher, she was in real anguish over the decision to report the cheating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
words can't express my anguish at losing my cat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grieve
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 anguish
Ted Katauskas, Outside, 23 Sep. 2025
In video shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum this week, Einav Zangauker, the mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, stands outside Netanyahu’s house with other hostage families, yelling in anguish.
—Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers, the labor union that has long represented California field hands from Mexico and other points outside the United States, said in a statement Saturday night that Garcia's death has left the organization anguished.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Noun
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
In video shared by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum this week, Einav Zangauker, the mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, stands outside Netanyahu’s house with other hostage families, yelling in anguish.
—Abeer Salman, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
The wide receiver looked frustrated and anguished as a group of trainers worked to stretch him out.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 July 2025
Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers, the labor union that has long represented California field hands from Mexico and other points outside the United States, said in a statement Saturday night that Garcia's death has left the organization anguished.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguish
Noun
-
Cowley has suffered financial losses, lost time, anxiety and emotional distress because of the data breach, according to the complaint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
-
With presidential elections not scheduled until at least 2027, however, Chetouane said the country is currently avoiding idiosyncratic distress.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Those human qualities help break down walls between him and Eve, played with great spirit by Lee as a genius holding onto her sorrow.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The work contains sonorous bouts of sorrow, but rage is its primary register.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The rest of the cast comes with big question marks after injuries and inconsistency plagued this group last season.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Cobweb Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall — a tapping that his parents insist is all in his imagination.—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Saunders’s afterlife, various spirits join Willie, Lincoln’s eleven-year-old son who has died from typhoid fever, while his father grieves in the crypt.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Members of the Amish community are grieving the deaths of two children, who were killed when the driver of a Mini Cooper struck their horse and buggy, Pennsylvania authorities say.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Safdie may have found a new way to make a sports drama, one that relies less on the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and more on all that is contained in the ambivalent middle.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Lessing expresses no regret or agony at her childhood actions, or at what happens next.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Her pain and her grief can’t be hers alone.—
Romina Ruiz-Goiriena,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
As anger fades into apathy and grief is aggravated by guilt, the public also chooses silence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Blasphemy accusations have been used repeatedly to persecute Christians and other religious minorities in the country.—
Sean Nelson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For those experiencing less severe infections, symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which often last between one and three days, according to the FDA.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Symptoms of listeriosis can include fever, muscle aches, and confusion, with higher risks for pregnant individuals, adults 65 or older, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguish. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share