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
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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
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
Verb
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She is backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America, and her challengers claim the district has suffered under under her leadership, pointing to MacArthur Park as emblematic of the homelessness and drug addiction crisis plaguing the city.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
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The title of his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, suggests an MCU movie in which our hero attempts to take on every problem plaguing the planet—and this time, Owusu isn’t giving his adversaries code names.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2026
Verb
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The Four Seasons star, 33, caught up with PEOPLE about the second season of the Netflix comedy and reprising her role as Ginny, the grieving new mom who grapples with complicated friendship dynamics and accepting change after the death of her boyfriend Nick (Steve Carell).—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
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That does not mean that Spier is immune from grieving.—
Brad Quick,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Verb
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The music flows out with ease—quick trills, raspy runs, then long, aching holds that stretch just to the edge of breaking.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Summer sandals may be simpler to pack and style, but not every pair is equipped to handle full sightseeing days, long airport treks, or 20,000-step itineraries without leaving your feet aching by lunchtime.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
7 June 2026
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
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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
Verb
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Most of those experiences come from mourning, from letting stuff go.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
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People mourning the loss of monoculture are rarely mourning the loss of aesthetic diversity.—
Maria A. Rodas,
The Conversation,
3 June 2026
Verb
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She was arrested at a hotel near the barn and booked at the Clark County Juvenile Hall on 12 counts of animal cruelty, including intentionally aiming or torturing a horse, as well as three counts of malicious destruction of property.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
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She was later transported to the Clark County Juvenile Hall and charged with 12 counts of willful or malicious killing, maiming or torturing an animal and three counts of felony malicious destruction of private property valued at more than $5,000, police said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Watch On As every streaming platform inevitably becomes like linear TV and offers up more commercials than common sense, we're left sighing at the 360 that society has taken.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
3 June 2026
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There are nearly two hundred people standing there, looking around and sighing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anguishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguishing. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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