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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anguished
Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026
The Dodgers’ $240-million signing of Kyle Tucker revived anguished cries that the team is ruining baseball.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 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
There is the sound of anguished crying, and words that are unclear under the burden of pain.
—Longreads, 3 Feb. 2026
The Dodgers’ $240-million signing of Kyle Tucker revived anguished cries that the team is ruining baseball.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 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.—
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
Verb
-
Opposition lawmakers are demanding Starmer resign, arguing his appointment of Mandelson despite warnings about reputational risks demonstrates poor judgment that has plagued his tenure since July 2024.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
There were promising signs of life throughout, though, and the Red Sox did enough to supersede the issues that have plagued them throughout their 9-13 start.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The saga unfolded as Carla and Carlotta grieved an unrelated loss.—
Jennifer Cannon,
Vanity Fair,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The whole country mourned her loss and grieved for her two young daughters, Ellie and Carrie, who were just 6 and 2 at the time.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His face, always stationed somewhere halfway to hangdog, seems to gain 20 new creases carved deep into his skin, accentuating his mournful eyes and his excruciated, heartbroken smile.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Her music choices, mournful and dreamy, also add a sense of significance.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Alex isn’t persecuted for being trans.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Jews were not necessarily being persecuted in Hungary at that point.—
Marcy Thompson,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When the popular Italian restaurant Caffe Vialetto closed in 2025 after 26 years of feeding families and sharing milestones, diners across Miami mourned the loss of the Coral Gables icon, a stable oasis for quiet dinners and family celebrations in a wildly changing culinary landscape.—
Connie Ogle
April 9,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Family members mourned Tuesday in Beirut at the funeral of Pierre Mouawad and his wife, Flavia.—
Chantal Da Silva,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The singer's brother Eric Stefani wrote the first version, and modified it with help from a freshly heartbroken Gwen, who had just broken up with the band's bassist Tony Kanal — one of a few times in music history that the subject of the song also contributed to its production.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
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Jamel Davis’ longtime live-in girlfriend first asked her son to stop smoking in the family’s home in the Walt Whitman Houses near Fort Greene Park, sparking a fight, according to the slain man’s heartbroken brother.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
These are important messages for a world afflicted by war and division.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Conspiracy Theorist Reformed One of the patients afflicted by the deadly virus was a man who came across as a conspiracy theorist.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguished. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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