AGONY Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'agony' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress , misery , and suffering . While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne. // in agony over the death of their child

Q: Where would 'distress' be a reasonable alternative to 'agony'?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress. // the hurricane put everyone in great distress

Q: When is it sensible to use 'misery' instead of 'agony'?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss. // the homeless live with misery every day

Q: When is 'suffering' a more appropriate choice than 'agony'?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress. // the suffering of famine victims

agony

noun

ˈa-gə-nē

Definition of agony next

as in nightmare

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in distress

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

as in explosion

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun agony differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Where would distress be a reasonable alternative to agony?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When is it sensible to use misery instead of agony?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When is suffering a more appropriate choice than agony?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of agony Cumberbatch, in a few moments, expresses the depth of this father’s agony, the terrifying chasm of it. —

Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025 Or their parents’ agony, day and night, for the past five years. —

David McGrath, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2025 And there were screams of agony, as the inevitable disappointments surfaced over the names not called by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott at the podium. —

David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025 Ohio State had several years of agony fueling its CFP run, and the 2025 season will be Penn State’s turn to attempt something similar. —

Austin Meek, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for agony

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony

Noun

His next stop, at Reading on a short-term deal, was a nightmare.

— Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 8 Feb. 2025
Their backcourt — Jrue Holiday and Derrick White — is a nightmare defensively.

— Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2025