Skip to main content
agonizing

agonizing

7 5.9
Causing very strong physical or emotional pain
  • adjective
  • /ˈæɡəˌnaɪzɪŋ/
  • US
translation icon : agonizante
  • All eyes turn her way, and she stands there, paralyzed in an agonizing moment of dead silence.
  • agonizing decision
  • agonizing choice
  • agonizing moment

Reconstruction was one long, agonizing referendum on the meaning of the war.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • After the breakup, she went through an agonizing period of depression.

  • There was this agonizing feeling, and I couldn't get back to it.

  • With an agonizing effort, I made myself get off the bed.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • - It's slow and agonizing.

  • To leave his love is equally agonizing for it means to feel alone and abandoned.

  • It was a complete, agonizing failure, and all for a hole in the ground.

  • It's a slow, agonizing, soul-sucking death.

  • It's the most agonizing and grueling military training on Earth.

    Academic text (2011)
  • And each day that Temple avoided his gaze became more agonizing.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • I didn't realize I had a fibroid, which basically caused me agonizing pain.

Synonyms

painful
vsagonizing
737 1.0

Making someone feel physical hurt or strong emotional upset

is more intense involving very severe or extreme suffering
heartbreaking
vsagonizing
92 3.7

Causing someone to feel very sad and upset

is painful more generally not limited to sadness or grief
unbearable
vsagonizing
89 3.9

Too painful or unpleasant to stand

expresses high intensity but emphasizes tolerability rather than degree
excruciating
vsagonizing
46 7.9

Causing very strong physical or mental pain

is severe too but sometimes less intensely piercing
distressing
vsagonizing
  • Specialized
36 4.6

Causing strong worry and emotional pain

is stronger meaning greater pain or suffering than mere upset
harrowing
vsagonizing
27 8.2

Causing very strong fear or sadness

is about great pain but not always mainly fear or worry
grievous
vsagonizing
  • Formal
26 7.9

Causing great pain or sorrow

is direct pain focused wording rather than formal seriousness
torturous
vsagonizing
  • Offensive
16 8.4

Causing very strong pain to the body or mind

is strong but more general physical or mental pain not necessarily cruel
gut-wrenching
vsagonizing
15 7.4

That makes you feel very sad and upset

is like this but covers physical pain as well as emotion
wrenching
vsagonizing
9 7.5

Causing very strong emotional or physical pain

is similar but can be slower or lasting rather than sudden
racking
vsagonizing
7.4

Causing very strong physical or mental pain

is intense pain but not always the repeated shaking type

Antonyms

134 1.4

Making someone feel less worried or upset

81 2.9

That makes pain or worry feel less strong

How Painful

excruciating
46 7.9
agonizing
  • US
7 5.9
painful
737 1.0
uncomfortable
713 1.7

Surface Forms

agonizing positive
agonizinger comparative
agonizingest superlative

Morphology

agonizing = agonize (transparent) = agony + ize + ing

Formed by adding the adjectival/present-participle '-ing' to the verb 'agonize', yielding the meaning 'causing or experiencing intense pain'.

Etymology

Agonizing comes from the old Greek root agon meaning 'struggle' and from the English word agony. So, think of something agonizing as a strong struggle of the body or mind that causes 'extreme pain' or worry.