agonizing

1 of 2

adjective

Synonyms of agonizingnext
: causing agony
an agonizing injury
agonizingly adverb

agonizing

2 of 2

present participle of agonize

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
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Adjective
Many of those wins have been agonizing for the Bears to endure like when TCU upset a top-10 Baylor squad in 2021 or when the Horned Frogs scored a walk-off field goal the very next season in Waco to keep their undefeated season alive. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 In her book, Dawood writes about an investigator telling her not to go down the agonizing road of hindsight. — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 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 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agonizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agonizing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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