agonizing

1 of 2

adjective

ag·o·niz·ing ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ

Synonyms of agonizing

: causing agony

an agonizing injury

agonizingly adverb

agonizing

2 of 2

present participle of agonize

Synonyms of agonizing

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of agonizing in a Sentence

Adjective a long and agonizing battle with cancer She made the agonizing decision to cancel the trip. The agonizing wait was finally over. He was in agonizing pain.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Adjective

This album is not afraid of its own agonizing lows or tethered to a toe-tapping dance-pop initiative; reveling in this ever-molting freedom, Sivan drops what is easily his finest collection of songs to date. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 Pentobarbital that leaks from the vessels causes agonizing pain. — Dr. Jacob Appel, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026 This launch is the culmination of an agonizing rebranding campaign. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026 Hersh was held hostage for 328 sickening, agonizing, and starving days until his captors executed him with five other young and luminous people in a tunnel underneath Gaza. — Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Time, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agonizing

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from present participle of agonize

First Known Use

Adjective

1570, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of agonizing was in 1570

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

agonized

agonizing

Agonostomus

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonizing. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

agonizing

adjective

Synonyms of agonizing

Examples of agonizing in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes