Agonizing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ/ ag·o·niz·ing

Meaning & Definition of Agonizing

Agonizing (adjective)

  1. causing agony

Agonizing (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. hard to accept or bear especially emotionally

    "agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon"

    similar: afflicting, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous
    related: insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable, appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched, acute, extreme, intense, piercing
    opposite: gratifying, pleasing, sweet
    near: bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable, allowable, reasonable

  2. intensely or unbearably painful

    "died an agonizing death"

    similar: excruciating, harrowing, racking, raging, tormenting, torturing, torturous, wrenching
    related: acute, exquisite, extreme, fierce, intense, vehement, violent, biting, cutting, penetrating, piercing, sharp, shooting, smarting, stabbing, stinging, tearing, tingling

Agonizing (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in suffering, mourning

    similar: grieving, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, weeping, cry, sob, tears, hand-wringing, regret, groan, howl, keen, lament, lamentation, moan, plaint, wail, complaint, cri de coeur, outcry, protest, anguish, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorrow, woe
    opposite: exultation, rejoicing, cheering, laughing, smiling

  2. as in hesitation, indecision

    similar: hesitation, indecision, introspection, premeditation, cogitation, contemplation, meditation, pondering, rumination, account, advisement, consideration, debate, deliberation, reflection, study, thought
    opposite: disregard, neglect, short shrift

Agonizing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause persistent suffering to

    "got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother"

    similar: afflicting, anguishing, bedeviling, besetting, besieging, cursing, excruciating, harrowing, persecuting, plaguing, racking, tormenting, torturing
    related: assailing, attacking, badgering, dogging, hounding, pursuing, riding, aggravating, agitating, annoying, bothering, bugging, chafing, distressing, disturbing, exasperating, galling, getting, grating, griping, hagriding, harassing, harrying, irking, irritating, molesting, nettling, peeving, pestering, piquing, putting out, rasping, riling, vexing, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, flustering, grieving, perturbing, straining, stressing, troubling, trying, upsetting, worrying, crushing, oppressing, overpowering, overwhelming, smiting, striking, tyrannizing, victimizing, hurting, paining, panging, pricking, smarting, stabbing, stinging, wringing, martyring
    near: abetting, aiding, assisting, helping, delivering, releasing, relieving, reprieving, comforting, consoling, contenting, quieting, solacing, soothing, succoring

  2. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing"

    similar: anguishing, bleeding, grieving, hurting, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, eating one's heart out, tearing one's hair
    related: aching, longing (for), pining (away), sighing, smarting, racking, tormenting, torturing, bemoaning, bewailing, deploring, lamenting, ruing, bawling, blubbering, crying, groaning, howling, keening, moaning, sobbing, taking on, wailing, weeping, yammering, yowling, languishing, regretting
    near: beaming, cheering, crowing, delighting, exulting, glorying, joying, laughing, ravishing, rejoicing, triumphing, assuring, comforting, commiserating, consoling, reassuring, solacing, soothing, sympathizing

Related Entry: Agonize (verb)

Agonize is a different word from Agonizing. The synonyms below are for agonize, not for agonizing.

  1. to cause persistent suffering to

    "got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother"

    similar: afflict, anguish, bedevil, beset, besiege, curse, excruciate, harrow, persecute, plague, rack, torment, torture
    related: assail, attack, badger, dog, hound, pursue, ride, aggravate, agitate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, distress, disturb, exasperate, gall, get, grate, gripe, hagride, harass, harry, irk, irritate, molest, nettle, peeve, pester, pique, put out, rasp, rile, vex, discomfort, discompose, disquiet, fluster, grieve, perturb, strain, stress, trouble, try, upset, worry, crush, oppress, overpower, overwhelm, smite, strike, tyrannize, victimize, hurt, pain, pang, prick, smart, stab, sting, wring, martyr
    near: abet, aid, assist, help, deliver, release, relieve, reprieve, comfort, console, content, quiet, solace, soothe, succor

  2. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "agonized for days over whether she'd done the right thing"

    similar: anguish, bleed, grieve, hurt, mourn, sorrow, suffer, eat one's heart out, tear one's hair
    related: ache, long (for), pine (away), sigh, smart, rack, torment, torture, bemoan, bewail, deplore, lament, rue, bawl, blubber, cry, groan, howl, keen, moan, sob, take on, wail, weep, yammer, yowl, languish, regret
    near: beam, cheer, crow, delight, exult, glory, joy, laugh, ravish, rejoice, triumph, assure, comfort, commiserate, console, reassure, solace, soothe, sympathize

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Agonizing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Agonizing:

afflicting, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous, racking, raging, torturing, wrenching, grieving, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, weeping, cry, sob, tears, hand-wringing, regret, groan, howl, keen, lament, lamentation, moan, plaint, wail, complaint, cri de coeur, outcry, protest, anguish

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Agonizing

Words with the opposite meaning of Agonizing:

gratifying, pleasing, sweet, exultation, rejoicing, cheering, laughing, smiling, disregard, neglect, short shrift

Related Words for Agonizing

insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable, appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched, acute, extreme, intense, piercing, exquisite, fierce, vehement, violent, biting

Near Antonyms of Agonizing

bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable, allowable, reasonable, abetting, aiding, assisting, helping, delivering, releasing, relieving, reprieving, comforting, consoling, contenting, quieting, solacing, soothing, succoring, beaming, crowing, delighting, exulting

Word Forms of Agonizing

Derived words: agonizingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Agonizing

from present participle of agonize

First known use: 1570

Frequently Asked Questions about Agonizing

What does "Agonizing" mean?

"Agonizing" means causing agony. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: causing agony. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Agonizing"?

Other words for "Agonizing" include afflicting, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing and harsh. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Agonizing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Agonizing"?

There are 193 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Agonizing". Common alternatives include afflicting, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, heartrending and hurtful.

What is the opposite of "Agonizing"?

Antonyms of "Agonizing" include gratifying, pleasing, sweet, exultation, rejoicing, cheering, laughing and smiling. Near antonyms include bearable, endurable, supportable and sustainable.

How do you use "Agonizing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Agonizing" in a sentence: "agonizing cries rose up from the dungeon"; "died an agonizing death"; "got into more trouble, further agonizing her poor mother".

Is "Agonizing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Agonizing" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Agonizing"?

"Agonizing" is pronounced /ˈa-gə-ˌnī-ziŋ/ and divided into syllables as ag·o·niz·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Agonizing"?

"Agonizing" comes from from present participle of agonize. First known use: 1570.