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
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Anyone who followed that series on a weekly basis knows how agonizing those cliffhangers could be.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2026
Rand Richards Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
This is nail-biting stuff, agonizing to sit through.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Adjective
Two cohosts dropped like Joy Behar falling out of her chair during Wednesday's live show, during an agonizing discussion about comedian Chelsea Handler's new romantic relationship.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Anyone who followed that series on a weekly basis knows how agonizing those cliffhangers could be.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 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
Their injuries are stomach-turning, their cries agonizing.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
This is nail-biting stuff, agonizing to sit through.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agonizing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonizing
Adjective
-
My ila facial was pure joy—no painful extraction or aggravating scrubs here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Both seasons were painfully funny (often just painful), but the humor sometimes got lost as time has proven even its most over-the-top bits eerily correct.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 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 trio of legal actions against Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona is the furthest Trump officials have gone to try to override state laws and set the rules for a fast-growing industry that has run headlong into thorny questions about insider trading and profiting off war and suffering.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Take the case of Iris Smith, an 80-year-old Florida retiree suffering from arthritis.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Florida shooting guard Xavian Lee’s indecision culminated in a coast-to-coast sequence that ended in a head-scratching turnover instead of a potential game-winner.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
-
In Nett’s case, announce and then roll back announcements of a new album that’s been prone to leaks and sandbagged by indecision.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Deeply troubled by the demographic and social problems plaguing the Nenets people, Nerkagi founded the Land of Hope—a tundra school for children which combines modern and traditional education and provides support to orphans and lonely elders.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But since 2023, local municipalities have argued that the majority of ozone plaguing the cities is not their fault.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The main motivation is the seven grieving families.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Families would not be grieving.—
Jeff Amy,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His team, which includes his advisor Atsushi Shirane and Masaya Miyahara of Japan’s High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), is aiming to develop a wireless system for controlling robots in this harsh environment.—
Katherine Bourzac,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Items that are wind-resistant and waterproof will be good for use in many harsh weather conditions in which the user would need protection.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While folks all across the nation are grappling with torturous TSA lines, Joe Jonas actually had fun at the airport on Saturday.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The verified account, @realanndowd (not to be confused with Bald Ann Dowd), made its first post on March 18 — finally ending the torturous 5,642-day dry spell of there being no Ann Dowd on the app.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonizing. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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