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
  • Gallagher has also sought to tie McGuire to cost-of-living problems plaguing Californians, such as the price of gasoline and housing.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Raman zeroed in on the issue of soaring electrical bills and the string of problems plaguing LAX’s elevated rail project.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of plaguing
Verb
  • The organization describes one grieving family that compromised on a smaller Christmas tree placed in another room, allowing relatives who wanted to decorate to do so without changing the main gathering space.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The series showcases a town torn apart by heinous crimes, while centering Jonah, a grieving man determined to get answers by any means necessary.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 30 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
  • Some women develop aching joints, headaches or pelvic pain seemingly out of the blue during perimenopause, or the menopausal transition, while others find that existing chronic pain conditions become harder to manage.
    — Cheyenne Buckingham, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Moments of mutual support and understanding, of belly-aching laughter and silliness, of care and deep love.
    — Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 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
  • His older brother Teboho Edkins decided to make a film about the experience of grief and mourning that his family and the local community went through.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The town of some 3,000 inhabitants declared three days of mourning with flags at half mast at the town hall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of mourning
Verb
  • Tennessee recently paused the practice after prisoner Christa Pike, who was convicted of torturing and killing a classmate in 1995, survived two rounds of a botched lethal injection.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The latest season, currently being aired, depicts a fictional Chinese intelligence agency capturing and torturing some of the Japanese spies.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 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 8 Nov. 2026.

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