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throe

throe

29 9.9
A sudden strong pain or a hard, painful struggle during a major change
  • noun
  • /θroʊ/
translation icon : estertor
  • I can assure you, my son is very engaging when he's not in the throes of jet lag.
  • death throes
  • throes of war
  • throes of a crisis

Also, don't turn a lady down in the throes of passion.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • From late 1945 on, France was in the throes of a protracted constitutional crisis.

    Academic text (1998)
  • His body jerks around as if caught in the throes of an epileptic seizure.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Even in the throes of a busy general practice, we must be careful.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Case study of one institution in the throes of that change process.

    Academic text (1991)
  • At home too, their communities were in the throes of drastic change.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Iran, after all, is a country in the throes of monumental internal transformation.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The Jordanians, in the throes of a democratic revival, were as cautious as ever.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Up he went, soaked in blood and in the throes of death, stretching his arms out towards her even as he dangled in the air beside the wall of the tomb.

  • One had died in surgery, inadequately sedated and restrained, thrashing and howling in throes that still haunted Lucinda.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The country has been in the throes of a recession that has caused widespread unemployment.

Synonyms

throes
vsthroe
9.1

Severe pain and suffering during a final or very difficult time

is about pain during change or transition rather than only final stages

Antonyms

304 1.0

A state of comfort and freedom from worry

190 1.0

A feeling of physical ease and being free from pain

How Intense

agony
135 3.9
torment
  • NSFW
70 5.6
throe
29 9.9
pain
1.0
ache
92 1.3
discomfort
119 3.2

Surface Forms

throe singular
throes plural

Etymology

Throe comes from an old word meaning 'to twist' or 'to writhe', so picture a body or place twisting in sudden pain. That's why a throe is a very strong pain or a hard, painful struggle during a big change.