1
as in nightmare
a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness
waiting all those hours to hear if he'd survived the plane crash was pure agony
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
the agony of never knowing what happened to her son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agony
The holy day, one that commemorates Jesus Christ's agony on the cross, is one of five Christian celebrations that pay homage to the events leading up to the Crucifixion and Christ's miraculous resurrection on Easter Sunday.
—
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Kelly later composed a chronicle of his meandering space treks - highlighting the agonies and the ecstasies of life in orbit - in the sensational book Endurance.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
In the final episode of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the precious agony of being alive is borne out in the death of Gwan-sik (played predominantly by Park Hae-joon in these final episodes), Ae-sun’s beloved husband and Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong’s dad.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
In video of the attack released by police at the time, she can be heard screaming in agony.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
Kelly later composed a chronicle of his meandering space treks - highlighting the agonies and the ecstasies of life in orbit - in the sensational book Endurance.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
In the final episode of When Life Gives You Tangerines, the precious agony of being alive is borne out in the death of Gwan-sik (played predominantly by Park Hae-joon in these final episodes), Ae-sun’s beloved husband and Geum-myeong and Eun-myeong’s dad.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
In video of the attack released by police at the time, she can be heard screaming in agony.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony
Noun
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Saving him and others is their work Pratt & Whitney union votes to approve new contract, end strike Private equity created a ‘nightmare’ in CT hospitals, staff say.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
27 May 2025
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Watching the men who trusted him to lead them home devoured by monsters or crushed by clashing rocks was not a fairytale, but a nightmare.—
Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The organization provides up to eight free mental health and counseling sessions to youth and their families who have experienced gun violence, abuse or emotional distress.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 May 2025
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Noumea’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre notified Carnival Splendor about a distress call from a catamaran while the ship was traveling south of New Caledonia on Thursday, according to a news release.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Fire investigators determined the fire and explosion were intentionally set.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 May 2025
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An explosion of heated coverage followed the initial report, much of it seemingly reliant on police leaks or pure speculation for sourcing.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
21 May 2025
Noun
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The Best Clothing Box Photograph: Stitch Fix Stitch Fix Kids Clothes Box $16 Stitch Fix As my kids have gotten older, shopping for their clothes has become a misery.—
Adrienne So,
Wired News,
17 May 2025
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The value of the Syrian currency plummeted during the civil war years, adding to the misery.—
Raja Abdulrahim,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Noun
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The victim’s scream of anguish is captured in the video.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2025
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Rite of Spring is the Pièce de resistance of the exhibition and features a mass of writhing bodies morphing into each other, women giving birth, androgynous figures and figures with expressions of anguish.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Short bursts of revenue can flatter results but may not create lasting value, so make decisions with a long horizon in mind.—
Ayo Adepoju,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
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The successful challenge appeared to give Florida a burst of energy, but the Panthers could not convert on any of their chances in the shutout loss.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Police allegedly recovered a gun and several torture devices, police sources told WNBC and WABC.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
23 May 2025
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The key topics in underground cinema — taboo relationships, homosexuality, prostitution, executions, torture, and political protests — are themes that have long been present in Persian rap.—
Ali Farahmand,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Symptoms like inflammation, joint pain, and stiffness are an inevitable part of aging.—
Health,
Health,
20 May 2025
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Contributor Aging often comes with unwelcome changes, like joint stiffness, nerve pain, sleepless nights, and slowed recovery.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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