ANGUISHED Synonyms: 256 Similar and Opposite Words

anguished 1 of 2

adjective

ˈaŋ-gwisht

Definition of anguished

as in weeping

expressing or suggesting mourning an anguished cry the military's explanation of the accident did nothing to console the anguished widow

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

anguished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of anguish

as in plagued

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

as in grieved

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 anguished

Adjective

Tensions flared Saturday as desperation grew among anguished residents of the Venezuelan state of La Guaira, where rescuers and civilians searched for earthquake survivors amid a sharply rising death toll. — Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026 Even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour, rescuers continued to free survivors from mountains of debris, offering anguished families reason to keep hopes alive. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Verb

There is a mood to these stories, sardonic and anguished in turn, that gets under your skin. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 Insert anguished grimace emoji here. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anguished

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguished

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Verb

In recent years, Georgia’s State Election Board has been plagued by infighting, feuds, insults, partisan maneuvering and out-and-out shouting matches.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 4 Aug. 2026
That report, released by the county last month, details a department doing many things right but also plagued by a poor facility in Bonita and other practices that don’t align with industry standards.

— Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of plagued

Verb

We are further grieved by continuing violence and instability in the Middle East, including the recent conflict involving Iran and its widening humanitarian consequences.

— Killingly-Brooklyn Interfaith Council, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
While the family grieved, the Willard Police Department got to work.

— Dateline NBC, NBC news, 24 June 2026

Definition of grieved

Adjective

Since his siblings were crying with the same mournful expression, clinging to their father’s corpse, Shoichiro willed himself to cry too, and the tears came immediately.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
But there’s something mournful, something searching about his statement, too.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

Definition of mournful

Verb

Although the two programs similarly target humanitarian concerns, being a TPS holder does not guarantee asylum, which requires that applicants prove they’ve been persecuted on specific grounds.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug. 2026
In The Bacchae, Dionysus becomes violent only because his existence has been denied and his followers persecuted, and his maenads similarly become destructive only when pursued.

— Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 31 July 2026

Definition of persecuted

Adjective

Local photographers are heartbroken after a young eagle was hit and killed by a train in Beaver County earlier this month.

— Jessica Guay, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Glen’s family is deeply shocked and heartbroken by this tragic loss and respectfully requests privacy at this extremely difficult time.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 July 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Verb

Blending horror with comedy, the Apple TV show takes place in a fictitious New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings about supernatural evils.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
In Seattle, by contrast, efforts to reduce public drug use force afflicted neighborhoods to pay a high price.

— Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of afflicted

Browse Nearby Words

anguish

anguished

anguishes

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Anguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguished. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of anguished

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on anguished

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

invidious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes