as in pains
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in plagues
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 grieves
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguishes
Noun
-
In fact, Williams took great pains to establish that his primary objective is building the Terps (7-7, 0-3 Big Ten), not tearing down a 21-year-old prospect, the Bears or the sport’s governing body.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
3 Jan. 2026 -
Those in their fifties and beyond require the same amount of sleep as younger adults—and may actually benefit from sleeping more to offset nightly wake-ups from aches and pains, medication side effects, or dealing with the need to urinate more frequently in the middle of the night.—
Emma Loewe,
Outside,
1 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
So while so much of this matchup is strength versus strength, what might matter most is which team’s weakness plagues them the least.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Cinnamon has been widely touted as a cure-all for anything that plagues the garden.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The annual hand-wringing around whether New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be fired is already under way, but that won’t be decided for weeks as the club’s management takes a breath and grieves the club’s latest playoff exit.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
12 Oct. 2025
-
In Saunders’s afterlife, various spirits join Willie, Lincoln’s eleven-year-old son who has died from typhoid fever, while his father grieves in the crypt.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Russia, the civilian repressive apparatus persecutes the military, which leaps at every chance for revenge.—
Stephen Kotkin,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Super flu virus symptoms The subclade K variant of flu A causes similar symptoms to other strains, including high fever, severe body aches, extreme fatigue, persistent cough, sore throat and intense headaches.—
Lori Comstock,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
-
My heart aches for you and for your beautiful little girls.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Just as the agonies and inadequacies of the meal itself are necessary steps toward the glorious leftovers to come, to me the bird is simply a prerequisite for its bones.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
24 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Furthermore, regulatory sclerosis afflicts housing and infrastructure.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Violence provided a solution but also birthed the recurring dilemma that afflicts African states today.—
Foreign Affairs,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Bonds signs some autographs, then takes a seat on the bench in the Giants dugout next to his mother, puts his head in his hands, and sighs.—
Jeremy Collins,
The Atlantic,
12 Dec. 2025
-
As the New York Rangers poured goal after goal into the Nashville Predators’ net Monday, fans and players let out not only cheers but also sighs of relief.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Anguishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguishes. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share