agonizing
adjective
ag·o·niz·ing ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ 
: causing agony
agonizingly adverb
Synonyms
- afflicting
- bitter
- cruel
- excruciating
- galling
- grievous
- harrowing
- harsh
- heartrending
- hurtful
- painful
- tormenting
- torturous
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 Unfortunately, none of those agonizing symptoms are usually strong enough to overcome the hypoxia-inducing madness and return to rational thought in time to slow down and run at a more honest pace. 
Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 16 Aug. 2022 At the hospital, Tello recalls the agonizing wait for news. Eliott C. Mclaughlin And Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 11 June 2022 The 911 calls disclosed Friday shed light on the agonizing wait for help inside two adjoining classrooms during that time: Rooms 111 and 112. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 27 May 2022 Like many other screens, NIPT often subjects patients to an agonizing wait until further diagnostic testing sorts the true versus false positives. Daniel Navon, Scientific American, 5 May 2022 For some, what occurred was deeply personal, bringing back a flood of memories and emotions revolving around a private, agonizing decision to terminate a pregnancy. Jessica Rodriguez, Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2022 After seeking counsel from our medical team and our friends and family, my husband and I made the agonizing decision to end the pregnancy. SELF, 2 June 2022 The couple made the agonizing decision to end the much-wanted pregnancy but said SB 321 would have barred them from doing so in Kentucky. Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 10 Mar. 2022 This was an agonizing decision that went against my upbringing. John A. List, WSJ, 30 Dec. 2021 See More
Brian Metzler, Outside Online, 16 Aug. 2022 At the hospital, Tello recalls the agonizing wait for news. Eliott C. Mclaughlin And Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN, 11 June 2022 The 911 calls disclosed Friday shed light on the agonizing wait for help inside two adjoining classrooms during that time: Rooms 111 and 112. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 27 May 2022 Like many other screens, NIPT often subjects patients to an agonizing wait until further diagnostic testing sorts the true versus false positives. Daniel Navon, Scientific American, 5 May 2022 For some, what occurred was deeply personal, bringing back a flood of memories and emotions revolving around a private, agonizing decision to terminate a pregnancy. Jessica Rodriguez, Journal Sentinel, 28 June 2022 After seeking counsel from our medical team and our friends and family, my husband and I made the agonizing decision to end the pregnancy. SELF, 2 June 2022 The couple made the agonizing decision to end the much-wanted pregnancy but said SB 321 would have barred them from doing so in Kentucky. Deborah Yetter, The Courier-Journal, 10 Mar. 2022 This was an agonizing decision that went against my upbringing. John A. List, WSJ, 30 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
from present participle of agonize
First Known Use
1570, in the meaning defined above
agonizing 1 of 3
adjective
1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- painful
- harsh
- torturous
- cruel
- excruciating
- harrowing
- horrible
- terrible
- bitter
- tormenting
- severe
- grievous
- hurtful
- awful
- unbearable
- unacceptable
- galling
- dreadful
- afflicting
- heartrending
- intense
- miserable
- intolerable
- appalling
- bad
- unendurable
- acute
- dire
- insufferable
- ghastly
- extreme
- vile
- wretched
- insupportable
- piercing
- nasty
- unsupportable
- rotten
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- gratifying
- sweet
- pleasing
- bearable
- endurable
- tolerable
- sustainable
- survivable
- supportable
- acceptable
- allowable
- livable
- reasonable
- sufferable
- liveable
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful died an agonizing death Synonyms & Similar Words
- wrenching
- excruciating
- torturous
- torturing
- intense
- raging
- harrowing
- tormenting
- violent
- extreme
- acute
- racking
- biting
- stabbing
- exquisite
- fierce
- shooting
- tearing
- penetrating
- piercing
- vehement
- stinging
- cutting
- tingling
- sharp
- smarting
agonizing
2 of 3noun
1
as in suffering
Synonyms & Similar Words
- suffering
- weeping
- grieving
- mourning
- sorrowing
- tears
- sob
- regret
- hand-wringing
- lamentation
- anguish
- protest
- groan
- sorrow
- heartbreak
- heartache
- outcry
- cry
- grief
- lament
- wail
- keen
- howl
- moan
- woe
- dolor
- plaint
- complaint
- cri de coeur
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- rejoicing
- exultation
- laughing
- smiling
- cheering
2
as in indecision
Synonyms & Similar Words
- indecision
- hesitation
- introspection
- pondering
- deliberation
- contemplation
- cogitation
- rumination
- meditation
- consideration
- thought
- debate
- reflection
- premeditation
- study
- advisement
- account
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- short shrift
agonizing
3 of 3verb
1
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother Synonyms & Similar Words
- plaguing
- persecuting
- afflicting
- excruciating
- torturing
- anguishing
- harrowing
- tormenting
- cursing
- besieging
- attacking
- troubling
- bothering
- stinging
- racking
- bedeviling
- besetting
- aggravating
- exasperating
- disturbing
- distressing
- overwhelming
- irritating
- annoying
- striking
- pursuing
- discomforting
- worrying
- disquieting
- grieving
- vexing
- badgering
- upsetting
- harassing
- griping
- hounding
- assailing
- nettling
- trying
- perturbing
- pestering
- riding
- dogging
- galling
- stressing
- agitating
- hurting
- stabbing
- grating
- harrying
- chafing
- bugging
- irking
- oppressing
- rasping
- crushing
- smarting
- overpowering
- straining
- molesting
- riling
- flustering
- tyrannizing
- victimizing
- paining
- smiting
- pricking
- wringing
- discomposing
- putting out
- peeving
- panging
- getting
- piquing
- hagriding
- martyring
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- assisting
- aiding
- relieving
- helping
- abetting
- comforting
- consoling
- soothing
- delivering
- releasing
- quieting
- contenting
- solacing
- succoring
- reprieving
2
as in grieving
to feel deep sadness or mental pain agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing Synonyms & Similar Words
- grieving
- aching
- mourning
- sighing
- anguishing
- sorrowing
- suffering
- sobbing
- crying
- weeping
- bleeding
- groaning
- tormenting
- hurting
- smarting
- eating one's heart out
- tearing one's hair
- moaning
- torturing
- bewailing
- lamenting
- ruing
- blubbering
- yammering
- howling
- languishing
- regretting
- racking
- deploring
- bawling
- bemoaning
- wailing
- yowling
- keening
- pining (away)
- longing (for)
- taking on
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- laughing
- rejoicing
- ravishing
- exulting
- cheering
- comforting
- delighting
- glorying
- triumphing
- consoling
- beaming
- reassuring
- soothing
- sympathizing
- crowing
- cheering
- assuring
- commiserating
- joying
- solacing