agonize
verb
ag·o·nize
ˈa-gə-ˌnīz 
agonized; agonizing
1
: to suffer agony, torture, or anguish
agonizes over every decision
2
: struggle
… baseless wisdom … requires that a writer … must agonize … for a minimum of two years for each one that he spends writing.—
George V. Higgins
George V. HigginsExamples of agonize in a Sentence
got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother
agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing
Recent Examples on the Web
Every spring, in the lead-up to the draft, NFL front offices agonize over the intangible qualities of players.
—Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 15 May 2026
People often agonize over how to ask for a raise at work, trying to determine when to speak up and how to make their case.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 12 May 2026
With two more days left in the Disney trip, Dreyer faced a decision plenty of parents have agonized over — cut the vacation short or push through?
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Her ex-husband, a good father, refuses to move the boy to the town and Eden agonizes about taking the boy from his friends and school in the Twin Cities.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonize
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Rustin Dodd, New York Times, 15 May 2026
People often agonize over how to ask for a raise at work, trying to determine when to speak up and how to make their case.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 12 May 2026
With two more days left in the Disney trip, Dreyer faced a decision plenty of parents have agonized over — cut the vacation short or push through?
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Her ex-husband, a good father, refuses to move the boy to the town and Eden agonizes about taking the boy from his friends and school in the Twin Cities.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agonize
Cite this Entry
“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonize. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
agonize
verb
ag·o·nize
ˈag-ə-ˌnīz
agonized; agonizing
: to suffer or cause to suffer extreme pain or anguish of body or mind
agonizingly
adverb
-ˌnī-ziŋ-lē
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