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 suffering
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in indecision
Related Words
Dissimilar 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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonizing
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Politicians are polling, strategizing — and agonizing.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Adjective
Once that agonizing process was complete in December 2022, Tammy went on to push for change at the state level.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Politicians are polling, strategizing — and agonizing.
—Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 9 May 2026
Noun
My agonizing over a coin toss illustrates the basic distortion that gambling exerts on spectating.
—Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
In her second memoir, Keaton still admits to agonizing over her thinning hair.
—Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 26 Dec. 2025
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
Quickly, and out of nowhere, the moment went from fun to incredibly painful for Golla.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
-
Regenvanu also makes clear that Vanuatu will not withdraw its UN resolution, despite pressure and despite painful compromises in the text.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
These four novels create a convincing, wrenching, kaleidoscopic picture of the range and repetitions of the most fatal kind of love; the sort of love that allows nothing else to grow around it, that eradicates all dignity; a love which, in order to be completed, must be told.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The spiritual experience helped her process a traumatic history rooted in death and suffering.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
And out of that suffering comes spiritual growth.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
And by the time the leader's indecision gets associated with these types of negative outcomes, the leader's reputation is irreparably damaged.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
What The Dark Wizard does differently is grapple with Potter’s impenetrability without being able to resolve it, and consider how that indecision might change our perceptions of his life and his May 2015 death while BASE jumping in Yosemite.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Having regulations put into place through this upcoming legislation is a win for both sides, especially if the overall revenue problems plaguing college athletics can at least be solved.—
Trey Wallace,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Sixteen months after the Eaton Fire, these are the extreme measures Altadena residents are taking to deal with a host of toxic compounds, including arsenic and asbestos, plaguing their families and properties.—
Aarne Heikkila,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
And what to make of Natalia (Milena Smit), the grieving young mother who sometimes appears in the margins of Elsa’s story?—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
-
He is survived by David, his grieving white partner.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The scheme has been so successful, law enforcement has created a joint FBI-National Security Division task force to disrupt the operations and have dealt a series of harsh prison terms to American accomplices who have willingly aided the North Koreans.—
Amanda Gerut,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
-
To fully embody her OnlyFans persona, an earthside alien named The Hungry Ghost, who offers mild nudity and harsh criticism of her willing subscribers’ genitalia.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sixteen months after leaving Wolves following a torturous end to a once-promising tenure, O’Neil has set about rebuilding his coaching career in the unlikely surroundings of France’s Ligue 1.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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