anguish

1 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 affliction, agony, distress, excruciation, hurt, misery, pain, rack, strait(s), torment, torture, travail, tribulation, woeRelated Words discomfort; cross, crucible, trial; heartache, heartbreak, joylessness, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness; emergency, pinch; asperity, difficulty, hardship, rigor; ache, pang, smarting, soreness, stitch, throe, twinge; danger, jeopardy, troubleNear Antonyms comfort, consolation, solace; alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief; peace, security; well-being

2 deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved words can't express my anguish at losing my cat Synonyms affliction, sorrow, dolefulness, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorriness, woeRelated Words agony, distress, pain, suffering, torment; blue devils, blues, dejection, depression, desolateness, desolation, despair, despondence, despondency, disconsolateness, dispiritedness, distress, doldrums, downheartedness, dreariness, dumps, forlornness, gloom, gloominess, glumness, heartsickness, joylessness, melancholy, miserableness, misery, mopes, oppression, sorrowfulness, unhappiness, woefulness, wretchedness; contrition, guilt, regret, remorse, rue, self-reproach, shame; melancholia, self-pityNear Antonyms gaiety (also gayety), gayness, humor, jollity, joviality, lightheartedness, merriment, merrymaking, mirth, mirthfulness; hopefulness, optimism, sunniness; enjoyment; content, contentedness, contentmentAntonyms blessedness, bliss, blissfulness, cheer, cheerfulness, cheeriness, delight, ecstasy, elatedness, elation, euphoria, exhilaration, exuberance, exultation, felicity, gladness, gladsomeness, glee, gleefulness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jubilation, pleasure, rapture, rapturousness