anguishing

verb

present participle of anguish
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieving
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 anguishing Hong Kong is an anguishing example. — Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026 Especially for someone whose entire adult life has been immersed in the adrenaline-infusion of coaching — from its exhilarating highs and anguishing lows to simply always being in the middle of so much. — Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguishing
  1. plaguing
  2. grieving
  3. afflicting
  4. aching
  5. persecuting
  6. mourning
  7. torturing
  8. sighing
Verb
  • This is the latest of a string of thefts plaguing France and Europe more broadly, which have made headlines since thieves broke into the Louvre in October 2025 and were able to get away with much of the country’s remaining crown jewels.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers designed Talon Blue to solve the severe cost overruns and production delays currently plaguing Western militaries.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of plaguing
Verb
  • When the world mourned the death of a beloved monarch in 2023, Prince Edward was grieving the loss of his beloved cousin.
    — Stephanie Bridger-Linning, Vanity Fair, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Still grieving, Viard struggled to occupy the void left by Lagerfeld, whose larger-than-life personality loomed over the Paris fashion landscape and whose workload at Chanel spanned no fewer than 10 collections a year.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of grieving
Verb
  • Singh and Jaggseer, like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X before them, highlight an identity crisis afflicting modern country music.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The work continues and the Frates family has maintained the passion that Pete instilled in them in fighting the disease that is still afflicting far too many people.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflicting
Verb
  • The aching reality of life for oppressed Black people is never explicitly referred to.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Japanese arthouse favorite Hirokazu Koreeda returns to his wheelhouse to marvelous effect with Look Back, an aching drama about growing up and making art, featuring a pair of stunning performances from child actors.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of aching
Verb
  • Biden weaponized Law Enforcement against his political opponent, while also persecuting many other innocent people.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Jack Hayford, the founder of the King’s University, in Texas, claimed that the film was persecuting Christians, who only wanted to be treated equally.
    — Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026
Definition of persecuting
Verb
  • The Jimmy Kimmel Live family is mourning the death of costume designer Rodney Muñoz at age 60.
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The special operations community is mourning the loss of Sgt.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of mourning
Verb
  • Guevara has never been charged with a crime in connection with allegedly torturing supsects, and the statute of limitations has long since expired on any such charges, Felker said.
    — Chris Tye, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In 1996, Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder for beating, torturing and killing Slemmer, a fellow Jobs Corps worker, in a remote area of the University of Tennessee Agricultural campus.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of torturing
Verb
  • By the 11th game of the third set, Keys was hitting herself in the head with her racket, taking her cap off and sighing deep breaths that were either meant to steady her or out of exasperation.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The soundtrack—by the frequent Hans Zimmer collaborator David Fleming—is a delight, a polyphonic mood board of ghost-clangs, spooky bassoons, lyrical electro-motifs, and sighing sea themes.
    — James Parker, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026
Definition of sighing

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Cite this Entry

“Anguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguishing. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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