agony column

noun

1

chiefly British : a newspaper column of personal advertisements relating especially to missing relatives or friends

2

chiefly British : a newspaper column that includes letters from readers seeking personal advice and the columnist's replies

Examples of agony column in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Years later, Paul settles down alone in the countryside to run something called the Frogworth Valley Artisanal Cheese Company and acquires a taste for reading lachrymose agony columns in the local newspaper. —New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1