agony column
noun
1
chiefly British : a newspaper column of personal advertisements relating especially to missing relatives or friends
2
chiefly British : a newspaper column that includes letters from readers seeking personal advice and the columnist's replies
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Years later, Paul settles down alone in the countryside to run something called the Frogworth Valley Artisanal Cheese Company and acquires a taste for reading lachrymose agony columns in the local newspaper. 
New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018 Years later, Paul settles down alone in the countryside to run something called the Frogworth Valley Artisanal Cheese Company and acquires a taste for reading lachrymose agony columns in the local newspaper. New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018
New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018 Years later, Paul settles down alone in the countryside to run something called the Frogworth Valley Artisanal Cheese Company and acquires a taste for reading lachrymose agony columns in the local newspaper. New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018 Word History
First Known Use
1854, in the meaning defined at sense 1