agony column
- noun
- /ˈæɡəni ˈkɒləm/
- Literature
:
sección de consejos
- The agony column offered thoughtful advice to a concerned mother in yesterday's paper.
Examples
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For years, readers have shared their secrets and worries in the agony column.
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She wrote to the agony column hoping for guidance on her relationship troubles.
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I read the agony column every week.
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She finds the agony column helpful for relationship advice.
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She wrote a letter to the agony column seeking advice about her relationship troubles.
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I found some helpful tips in the agony column of the newspaper regarding stress management.
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Many readers turn to the agony column for guidance on personal issues they face.
Synonyms
344
2.8
A regular newspaper article where a writer gives opinions
5
2.8
An article in a newspaper that a writer writes regularly to share opinions
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'agony' (severe distress or personal problems) with 'column' (a regular newspaper or magazine article), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer it is a column about people's troubles and advice. This compositional pattern is common in English and mirrored in many other languages, making the meaning directly derivable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Agony column comes from old newspapers where readers sent letters about their personal agony, meaning 'pain' or 'worry', and a writer printed them in a regular column and gave advice. So, agony column now means the part of a paper or magazine that publishes readers' problems and answers.