1
as in horrors
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
waiting all those hours to hear if he'd survived the plane crash was pure agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pains
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the agony of never knowing what happened to her son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonies
The reticence of Cartland’s heroes belies agonies of loneliness.
—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
While significant, the Sotheby’s statue was just one among thousands of pieces that had been systematically stolen during the country’s deepest agonies.
—
Matthew Campbell,
Bloomberg,
22 May 2026
The agonies of the day were only intermittently audible in the music on offer in Witten.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies.
—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
While significant, the Sotheby’s statue was just one among thousands of pieces that had been systematically stolen during the country’s deepest agonies.
—
Matthew Campbell,
Bloomberg,
22 May 2026
The agonies of the day were only intermittently audible in the music on offer in Witten.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—
Literary Hub,
20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonies
Noun
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Many of its founding members had seen the horrors of World War I up close (Breton and several others had served in the French army) and blamed their fathers’ generation for the carnage.
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Netflix is releasing a new game show, one that combines the popularity of Squid Game, the timeless charms of the live-action Wonka experience, and the unwanted ubiquity of technofascist horrors beyond our comprehension.
Noun
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Having witnessed centuries of religious warfare in Europe, when millions were killed for their beliefs, the framers took pains to make sure nothing like that would happen here.
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Perhaps second only to getting sunburned through your favorite white dress, the greatest casualty of summer fashion is the aches and pains brought on by your cutest but least supportive shoes.
Noun
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Multiple explosions were heard in Kyiv, a Reuters witness said.
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Instead of focusing narrowly on one object at a time, the observatory will sweep across huge areas of sky, building an archive of stars, galaxies, asteroids and cosmic explosions.
Noun
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Now imagine all their parents having nightmares that this was their university experience.
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Set amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, the tragic tale of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is famous for allowing real nightmares to masquerade as bloody fairytales.
Noun
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The sad thing is that the miseries return, but there is no other Garrincha available.
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.
Noun
-
Public outbursts remain relatively uncommon, making this week's intervention particularly revealing.
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There have been intermittent outbursts of violence against immigrants since then.
Noun
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Tykes get slapped around, shot with arrows and dangled in traffic — tortures that are played seriously, but the shock of them allows you to guffaw.
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But such judgments often come from a place of distance—from people who have never lived under a theocracy that imprisons, tortures, and kills with impunity.
Noun
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From Friday to Sunday, singers and alphorn players filled the streets and spontaneous bursts of yodeling echoed through restaurants, where diners initially reacted with surprise before joining in.
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San Francisco real estate agent Butch Haze of Compass has seen tech booms followed by ravenous bursts of homebuying since the first internet gold rush of the late 1990s.
Cite this Entry
“Agonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonies. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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