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
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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
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1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war
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2
as in to grieve
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of anguish
Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025
Nothing has surfaced to document her anguish.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Seeing how anguished her parents were, Angelica decided to do something about it.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Noun
That pivot is in Alex’s sudden move toward becoming an amateur stand-up comic, using the stage and the microphone as therapy platforms for his anguish.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025
Nothing has surfaced to document her anguish.
—Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
Many times each day, and sometimes during the night, the old woman would bang on my door, anguished, calling out for her son: Peter, Peter!
—Miriam Toews
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
Seeing how anguished her parents were, Angelica decided to do something about it.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguish
Noun
-
Brown, 36, has filed portions of his April deposition in the civil court matter as part of his new request that the judge strike the housekeeper’s claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress and punitive damages from her lawsuit.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Is an internalized fear of risk causing internal distress?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This grim reality evokes a sense of sorrow and powerlessness among women in Paina Bujurg.—
Aishwarya S. Iyer,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Critics have hailed his performance’s blend of warmth, humor and sorrow.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The extravaganza was the first in years to enjoy the viewership on both TV and streaming that people come to expect of the event after a fallow period during which NBC was plagued by Asia time-slot challenges and the coronavirus pandemic, among other factors.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
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When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The acclaimed actors’ characters are brought together by geography in the eight-episode Netflix series in which Rhys’ Nile — previously suspected of killing his wife — moves in near Danes’ Wiggs, a grieving author.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The 27-year-old is still grieving the loss of Stone, who died on March 1 at the age of 63 in a car crash in Alabama.—
Essence,
Essence,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aches and pains don’t compare to the agony of an unrealized dream.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
13 Oct. 2025
-
But this specific take on the agony and the, well, extra helping of agony that parenthood often feels like is all hers.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ari Aster's sophomore directorial effort might seem like another atmospheric cultish folk horror, but the film uses the genre as a symbolic journey for the overcoming of grief and shedding one life for another.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Caregiver support groups and therapy have been essential in navigating my grief.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Nazi Germany, transgender people were persecuted, barred from public life.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
15 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
-
Smigiel’s right shoulder and elbow ached?—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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That contradiction of hope and aching despair goes beyond the music, running right through the roots of the show.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguish. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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