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
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
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
Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
At the time, Gates’s message barely registered, whereas the speeches this spring led to a prolonged cycle of anguished debate.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
The vice president’s anguished and inordinately diplomatic communiqué read like a love letter to two feuding parents.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 June 2025
After all, what would be more appropriate for our moment than a franchise movie that devolves into a series of anguished and disjointed screams?
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for anguished
Adjective
Seeing how anguished her parents were, Angelica decided to do something about it.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
At the time, Gates’s message barely registered, whereas the speeches this spring led to a prolonged cycle of anguished debate.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
The vice president’s anguished and inordinately diplomatic communiqué read like a love letter to two feuding parents.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 June 2025
After all, what would be more appropriate for our moment than a franchise movie that devolves into a series of anguished and disjointed screams?
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 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
-
This particular finding presents a more nuanced framing of gun violence and challenges dominant narratives about Chicago’s violence that have plagued the city’s reputation for decades.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The study also pinpointed a bacterium that plagued these colossal ice age creatures.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His father grieved by never mentioning her name again in the house, and the fatherly approval Bono craved was in short supply.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
30 Aug. 2025
-
Angelina Murrieta watched as her 16-year-old daughter grieved with friends during the vigil for her fallen classmate.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Similarly, the discreetly mournful compositions of Giorgio Matteo and Aki Oliviero’s score hover politely on the periphery of the (in)action, careful not to intrude.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
-
His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
But Thomas was afflicted by health troubles on the 26-56 Nets last year.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The World Health Organization states that in 2021 alone, nearly 57 million people were afflicted with some form of dementia.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Several world leaders mourned the accident, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In 1973, the Tree of Ténéré, a 300-year-old acacia in the Sahara Desert, was mourned following its destruction by a truck driver, alleged to have been drunk.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Hill’s 21-year-old son told WXYZ that his whole family is heartbroken.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Over the past half-decade, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been called off three times, leaving behind unrealized lineups, swampy farmlands, and heartbroken fans.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
His deportation to El Salvador violated a 2019 court order that protected him from being deported to his home country because of concerns that he’d be persecuted by violent gangs.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Criminals are to be persecuted.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguished. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share