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In Ancient Greece, a public gathering was called agon. Since the Greeks placed a high value on sports and athletic competition, there were almost always athletic events at gatherings on festival days. The struggle to win the prize in such contests came to be called agonia. This term came also to be used for any difficult physical struggle and then for the pain that went with it—physical or mental. Our English word agony, meaning “intense pain of mind or body,” thus comes from a word that meant a happy celebration.
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Examples of agony in a Sentence
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Feb. 2025
The woman continued to experience abdominal pain for years after her procedure, but the source of the agony could not be explained by her doctors, the lawsuit said.
—Kate Linderman, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2025
Staff Sergeant Kennedy Robinson barked at a recruit whose arms were twitching in agony.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Or their parents’ agony, night and day, for the past five years.
—David McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agony. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Middle English agonie "agony," from Latin agonia (same meaning), from Greek agōnia "struggle," from agōn "gathering, contest for a prize"
Medical Definition
agony
noun
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