agonizing

adjective

ag·​o·​niz·​ing ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ How to pronounce agonizing (audio)
Synonyms of agonizingnext
: causing agony
an agonizing injury
agonizingly adverb

Examples of agonizing in a Sentence

a long and agonizing battle with cancer She made the agonizing decision to cancel the trip. The agonizing wait was finally over. He was in agonizing pain.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After an agonizing two and a half weeks of waiting, of back and forth, of praying, at the very last minute the judge finally gave her ruling in favor of TPS for Haiti. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026 For those wearing the putative target on their back, this can surely be agonizing. Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026 His family spent an agonizing week searching through morgues, hospitals and detention facilities before finally identifying his body among piles of corpses, also shown in the viral footage. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026 Her family would later make the agonizing decision to take her off life support. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agonizing

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of agonize

First Known Use

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agonizing was in 1570

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonizing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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