1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
died an agonizing death
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in suffering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 agonizing
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 July 2025
And to cope with the agonizing pain of childbirth, Victoria enthusiastically embraced chloroform.
—Sam Kelly, Time, 8 July 2025
The New York Yankees, who won the 2024 American League pennant before losing a five-game Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers, fell out of first place on Independence Day weekend as an agonizing slump seemed to grip the entire team.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Four years after dropping out of college to launch the shopping rewards startup Fetch, CEO Wes Schroll spent an agonizing six weeks working around the clock to fix a fatal flaw.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Verb
In one agonizing scene, Jack crashes the stage at the Grammy Awards as Ally accepts her Best New Artist trophy, then pisses his pants in front of everyone.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 8 July 2025
And to cope with the agonizing pain of childbirth, Victoria enthusiastically embraced chloroform.
—Sam Kelly, Time, 8 July 2025
The New York Yankees, who won the 2024 American League pennant before losing a five-game Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers, fell out of first place on Independence Day weekend as an agonizing slump seemed to grip the entire team.
—Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Four years after dropping out of college to launch the shopping rewards startup Fetch, CEO Wes Schroll spent an agonizing six weeks working around the clock to fix a fatal flaw.
—Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
The tents are overrun by mosquitoes and other large insects, subjecting people to frequent and painful insect bites.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 July 2025
-
Some people will also get deeper nodules and cysts that are painful or tender to the touch.2 Ice can be very effective at alleviating pain and reducing inflammation.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Bereavement hallucinations—intensely vivid encounters with the deceased—are reported by as many as half of all grieving people.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The Catalan feature tells the stories of Anabel and her mother, Delia, who are grieving for Julián, Anabel’s father.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This suffering is a direct result of lawless sanctuary city policies.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 July 2025
-
In keeping with popular male balms for spiritual suffering, Turner turns to alcohol and functions as a mollusk, socially and professionally; his stoicism is an act, one his peers pick up on, and which some openly deride.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
In this environment, indecision is a decision, but almost never the right one.—
Michael Abbott,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Does being a girl’s girl mean forfeiting your shot at love in deference to a friend’s indecision?—
Lizzie Hyman,
People.com,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
Despite his large body of work as a MAGA sycophant, YouTuber Benny Johnson couldn’t swallow Trump’s logically torturous explanations of why his backers should just forget about Epstein.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
-
But the games must go on, and in the third installment, he’s forced to play even more torturous rounds that divide the players further, including a terrifying game of hide-and-seek and a deadly round of double Dutch.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
-
Wiz could be a turning point for an uncertain IPO market and a mergers and acquisitions environment aching from a slowdown in deal activity.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2025
-
In fact, this iteration is a lighter and more cushioned version, with a level of support and shock absorption that ensures your feet are not aching after a day of sightseeing.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Decades later in an interview with The Saturday Evening Post, Brolin reflected on his initial hesitation to take the role.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
People.com,
18 July 2025
-
The right people are drawn to energy, not hesitation.—
JW Roth,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share