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
-
The movie takes pains to illustrate how the possible end of the world will begin like any other day.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025 -
Colleagues who failed to take similar pains earned his everlasting disdain.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When an unexpected event takes him back to his hometown, he is reunited with his mother and old friends but also confronted by the corruption that plagues his country, sparking a political awakening.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Chapman’s tenure at the SBC Executive Committee from 1992 to 2009 encountered similar economic and political headwinds that plagues the SBC today, yet many Southern Baptists remember that time for Chapman’s determination to push past those hurdles for the sake of growing local churches.—
Liam Adams,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Oct. 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
-
While the flu is traditionally associated with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, headache and fatigue, children and adults alike can experience moderate to severe complications.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
-
After sitting at my sewing machine for a couple of hours, my neck aches and my right foot is stiff from standing to attention over the pedal.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Recent research finds a similar curse afflicts National Football League teams that compete to acquire one of the top picks in its annual draft of new players.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Motion sickness afflicts one in three adults and one in two children.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Affleck sighs and rolls her eyes.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Outside, the tide sighs against the rocks in steady conversation.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Falling support in Gaza Palestinian public pressure on Hamas has risen as the miseries of war have mounted.—
Mkhaimar Abusada,
The Conversation,
5 Oct. 2025
-
But current virus variants continue to spread burning throats, fevers and other miseries.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Now, a sinister witch (Sarah Stephens) who bathes her broomstick in the woods tortures their existence, abducting their infant and leaving the family in shambles.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The mistake tortures them, which prompts the couple to try and solve the mystery by producing a fake play in an attempt to get their ex-neighbor Mary (Chloe Cherry) to audition.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share