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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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024
The movie One of the darkest true stories on this list, An American Crime never undersells or soft-pedals the ceaseless agony of Likens’ ordeal.
—Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Also, the Poco Plus is easy to adjust, which is necessary when trading off carrying duties because one parent’s back and hips are screaming in agony.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
The ‘kill list’ Tasha and Dakota Adams have watched with amazement and agony as the 2024 presidential campaign has unfolded.
—Will Carless, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agony. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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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