1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
3
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agony
Fresh agony for father The children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was also kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
—
Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
Les Pirates must suffer the agony of playing the reigning French champions a third time this month, having lost 5-2 in the league and 3-0 in the first leg of this tie.
—Sam Tighe, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Here’s Maya Salam in The Times, on the agony of watching your favorite online dogs age.
—Sam Sifton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Kilgore, his dream of fame approaching, also sees its chimerical agonies.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN, 21 Feb. 2025
Les Pirates must suffer the agony of playing the reigning French champions a third time this month, having lost 5-2 in the league and 3-0 in the first leg of this tie.
—Sam Tighe, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Here’s Maya Salam in The Times, on the agony of watching your favorite online dogs age.
—Sam Sifton, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Kilgore, his dream of fame approaching, also sees its chimerical agonies.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony
Noun
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For Prince’s team, the damning press was a waking nightmare.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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As a quiet panic becomes obvious in Ryan’s eyes, the happy return begins to feel like a nightmare.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While local authorities have since said the incident spawned from a physical altercation between two attendees, and that firearms were not involved, the resulting melee left at least 10 people with non-life-threatening injuries and numerous claiming emotion distress.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 Mar. 2025
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Garcia’s damages included physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, inconvenience, grief, disfigurement, physical impairment, anxiety and emotional distress, according to a recording of the verdict from Courtroom View Network.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Another 1,671 firms reached $2.5 to $4.9 million, up from 506 in 2021. Transportation and warehousing: With the e-commerce explosion sparking demand for last-mile transportation and warehousing, solopreneurs in this space profited.—
Elaine Pofeldt,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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An eruption followed by an explosion was heard Thursday evening as far as Larantuka and Maumere, two cities about 30 to 53 miles from the volcano.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Rick’s revenge fantasy might be more of a death drive, a desire to finally end his misery at the barrel of a stranger’s gun.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Former Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon put the game beyond doubt with minutes remaining, curling into the top corner to further compile the travelling supporters’ misery.—
Elias Burke,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The first Trump Administration didn’t deliver many material gains to the rural poor—deaths of despair continued to rise, and wages continued to stagnate—but at least Trump spoke to their anguish and seemed outraged on their behalf.—
Andrew Marantz,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
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Garcia’s damages included physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, inconvenience, grief, disfigurement, physical impairment, anxiety and emotional distress, according to a recording of the verdict from Courtroom View Network.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of using stress as a momentary burst of energy to handle a challenge, your nervous system stays trapped in a hypervigilant state, constantly preparing for the next emotional shift.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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The second half opened with another Cathedral scoring burst, extending the lead in the first minute-and-a-half of the third to 18 following a three by Allen-Paisley.—
Justin Barrasso,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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By Sunday afternoon, President Bukele’s office had released video clips believed to be images of migrants being escorted off a plane and taken to a prison where incarcerated people are reportedly subjected to torture and beatings.—
Troy Aidan Sambajon,
The Christian Science Monitor,
19 Mar. 2025
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It’s apparently been rigged into an impenetrable torture device on wheels.—
Frank Scheck,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Her pain and rage, her desire to be coddled and loved all announced itself with a furious punk purity.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2025
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Kier’s Goal – This is, as some expected, a pursuit of a life free from pain, or even discomfort.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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