agonize

verb

ˈa-gə-ˌnīz How to pronounce agonize (audio)
Definition of agonizenext
1
as in to persecute
to cause persistent suffering to got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grieve
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of agonize Les Snead agonized over including defensive rookie of the year Jared Verse in the trade for Myles Garrett, but ultimately decided to make the move. — Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2026 To your point, agonizing about everything isn’t doing me any favors. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 People often agonize over how to ask for a raise at work, trying to determine when to speak up and how to make their case. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 12 May 2026 Her ex-husband, a good father, refuses to move the boy to the town and Eden agonizes about taking the boy from his friends and school in the Twin Cities. — Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agonize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonize
  1. persecute
  2. grieve
  3. plague
  4. mourn
  5. afflict
  6. ache
  7. torture
  8. sigh
Verb
  • García Luna pledged to restore independence and public confidence in the Public Ministry and began reviewing cases involving officials, journalists, and others who alleged that they had been politically persecuted under the previous administration.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Other Eurasian emperors of the time also did not persecute occult practitioners as Ivan did in the lead-up to the second oprichnina, actions more in line with attitudes in early modern Christian Europe than those common among rulers of Asia.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of persecute
Verb
  • Crump was flanked by three sets of grieving Black families who have all lost their sons in recent months.
    — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The grieving husband said Soto de Guzman wanted to take their son to Santo Domingo on the day after she was killed and had already booked a flight, but the son was in the midst of a mental health crisis.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of grieve
Verb
  • The research team identified opportunities to improve the atomic layer etching (ALE) approach, which offers significant advantages over the conventional methods but was plagued by difficulties for practical use.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Troubles from the start The groundbreaking attraction, which Six Flags has sunk millions of dollars into, was plagued with problems from the outset.
    — Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of plague
Verb
  • The town was mourning a child who had recently died by suicide, and the jumpers passed the funeral in the streets.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • William Jewell College said the school and Liberty, Missouri, community were mourning Barnett's death.
    — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of mourn
Verb
  • It’s typically diagnosed in adults — only about five births each year are afflicted by the condition nationwide.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Weiss has since learned he and his uncles weren’t uniquely afflicted.
    — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of afflict
Verb
  • Green lasers shot out into the crowd, revealing the faces of fans who’d waited all night on aching feet to see their favorites.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • About one out of five people infected with West Nile virus develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, or rash.
    — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of ache
Verb
  • Hatami has spearheaded a number of high-profile cases against child abusers in Los Angeles, California, including the murder of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, who was tortured and killed by his mother and her boyfriend.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Fort Worth Meacham International Airport The episode opens with Joe being tortured inside an airplane hangar.
    — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of torture
Verb
  • Shankly accepted the boldness, Ashman sighed and football had its first example of many of Keegan’s awareness of his financial worth.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Otherwise, Bridge — and any forthcoming program of the sort — risks becoming less a pathway to better care than another obstacle along the way, and another reason for physicians and patients alike to sigh.
    — Jeffrey Millstein, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of sigh

Browse Nearby Words

agonistic
agonize
agonized
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Cite this Entry

“Agonize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonize. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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