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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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
2
as in grieved
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anguished
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
An arrest this week nine months after a fatal Brooklyn hit-and-run crash has done little to ease the pain of the victim’s anguished family.
—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
24 Nov. 2025
But the intellectual self-questioning and anguished artistic experimentation that began in the early twentieth century after the annihilation of Europe’s old verities did not find fertile ground in the United States, either before the war or after it.
—
Victor J. Blue,
Harpers Magazine,
23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguished
Adjective
Lesch plays the savior’s anguished betrayer not as an intellectual equal who fiercely debates him and loses all patience with the movement.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
An arrest this week nine months after a fatal Brooklyn hit-and-run crash has done little to ease the pain of the victim’s anguished family.
—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
Insert anguished grimace emoji here.
—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
24 Nov. 2025
But the intellectual self-questioning and anguished artistic experimentation that began in the early twentieth century after the annihilation of Europe’s old verities did not find fertile ground in the United States, either before the war or after it.
—
Victor J. Blue,
Harpers Magazine,
23 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.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Verb
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Yet within weeks of Trump declaring the rehabilitation completed in time for Independence Day, the water was plagued by a vivid green algae bloom that clouded the pool’s coating.
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By the time of the shooting in November 1999, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound Carruth was again being plagued by injuries.
Verb
-
The other thing most people miss is the sheer scale of what’s actually being grieved.
-
Indigenous men grieved but also fumed when women were attacked.
Adjective
-
The years have only intensified Zimmerman’s mournful, hushed vocal performance, and Dream Me a Dream often plays out like a bedtime story spun by a beloved elder, accompanied by soft strings, shakers, and even a synth or two.
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The drama can stir up nostalgia and mournful emotions, and feels personal to many.
Verb
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In Britain, all the large predators had long since been exterminated and the smaller ones (like foxes) were ruthlessly persecuted.
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Supporting people who have too often been, and continue to be, persecuted and othered would be a direct way to address the suffering.
Verb
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Springsteen and his band mourned the loss of the legendary music mogul in a statement shared on Instagram Monday.
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Both were made to sit outside the gates, deeply upsetting the family who mourned within.
Adjective
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The courtroom was packed with heartbroken supporters wanting justice for Jor'Dynn as each woman stood silent in front of the judge.
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There is nothing more evocative of a pure Love Island experience than a heartbroken rage split in costume.
Verb
-
They are both afflicted by cognitive and/or hearing issues.
-
Two-thirds of respondents afflicted with alpha-gal reported anxiety or depressive disorders in a 2025 University of Missouri survey.
Cite this Entry
“Anguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguished. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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