Anguished — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˈaŋ-gwisht/ an·guished

Meaning & Definition of Anguished

Anguished (adjective)

  1. suffering anguish, tormented
  2. expressing anguish, agonized

Anguished (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. expressing or suggesting mourning

    "an anguished cry"

    "the military's explanation of the accident did nothing to console the anguished widow"

    similar: aching, agonized, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, plangent, regretful, rueful, sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, woeful
    related: dirgelike, elegiac, melancholy, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, heartsick, heartsore, inconsolable, tearful, brokenhearted, careworn, crestfallen, forlorn, gloomy, glum, low-spirited, miserable, sad, triste, unhappy, woebegone, bawling, crying, groaning, howling, keening, moaning, yammering, bleeding, suffering, black, bleak, cheerless, comfortless, dark, darkening, desolate, dismal, dreary, funereal, gray, joyless, low, moody, morbid, morose, pathetic, pessimistic, piteous, saturnine, somber, sullen, wretched
    near: delighted, exulting, glorying, happy, joyful, rejoicing, triumphant, bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, laughing, smiling, blissful, blithe, blithesome, buoyant, jocund, jolly, joyous, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, ecstatic, elated, euphoric, exhilarated, giddy, heady, rapturous, rhapsodic

Anguished (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause persistent suffering to

    "she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war"

    similar: afflicted, agonized, bedeviled, beset, besieged, cursed, excruciated, harrowed, persecuted, plagued, racked, tormented, tortured
    related: assailed, attacked, badgered, dogged, hounded, pursued, rode, aggravated, agitated, annoyed, bothered, bugged, chafed, distressed, disturbed, exasperated, galled, got, grated, griped, hagrode, harassed, harried, irked, irritated, molested, nettled, peeved, pestered, piqued, put out, rasped, riled, vexed, discomforted, discomposed, disquieted, flustered, grieved, perturbed, strained, stressed, tried, troubled, upset, worried, crushed, oppressed, overpowered, overwhelmed, smote, struck, tyrannized, victimized, hurt, pained, panged, pricked, smarted, stabbed, stung, wrung, martyred
    near: abetted, aided, assisted, helped, delivered, released, relieved, reprieved, comforted, consoled, contented, quieted, solaced, soothed, succored

  2. to feel deep sadness or mental pain

    "I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards"

    similar: agonized, bled, grieved, hurt, mourned, sorrowed, suffered, ate one's heart out, tore one's hair
    related: ached, longed (for), pined (away), sighed, smarted, racked, tormented, tortured, bemoaned, bewailed, deplored, lamented, rued, bawled, blubbered, cried, groaned, howled, keened, moaned, sobbed, took on, wailed, wept, yammered, yowled, languished, regretted
    near: beamed, cheered, crowed, delighted, exulted, gloried, joyed, laughed, ravished, rejoiced, triumphed, assured, comforted, commiserated, consoled, reassured, solaced, soothed, sympathized

Related Entry: Anguish (verb)

Anguish is a different word from Anguished. The synonyms below are for anguish, not for anguished.

  1. to cause persistent suffering to

    "she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war"

    similar: afflict, agonize, 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

    "I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards"

    similar: agonize, 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 Anguished

The most common words with a similar meaning to Anguished:

aching, agonized, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous, funeral, grieving, heartbroken, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, plaintive, plangent, regretful, rueful, sorrowful, sorry, wailing, weeping, woeful, afflicted, bedeviled, beset, besieged, cursed, excruciated, harrowed, persecuted, plagued, racked, tormented, tortured, bled, grieved, hurt, mourned

Related Words for Anguished

dirgelike, elegiac, melancholy, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, dispirited, downcast, downhearted, heartsick, heartsore, inconsolable, tearful, brokenhearted, careworn, crestfallen, forlorn, gloomy, glum, low-spirited, miserable, sad, triste, unhappy, woebegone, bawling, crying, groaning, howling

Near Antonyms of Anguished

delighted, exulting, glorying, happy, joyful, rejoicing, triumphant, bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, laughing, smiling, blissful, blithe, blithesome, buoyant, jocund, jolly, joyous, lighthearted, merry, mirthful, encouraging, hopeful, optimistic, ecstatic, elated, euphoric, exhilarated

Origin & Etymology of Anguished

Middle English anguysched, from past participle of anguischen "to anguish:2"

First known use: 1570

Frequently Asked Questions about Anguished

What does "Anguished" mean?

"Anguished" means suffering anguish, tormented. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: suffering anguish, tormented. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Anguished"?

Other words for "Anguished" include aching, agonized, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful and dolesome. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Anguished" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Anguished"?

There are 187 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Anguished". Common alternatives include aching, agonized, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter, deploring, doleful, dolesome, dolorous and funeral.

How do you use "Anguished" in a sentence?

Examples of "Anguished" in a sentence: "an anguished cry"; "the military's explanation of the accident did nothing to console the anguished widow"; "she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Anguished"?

"Anguished" is pronounced /ˈaŋ-gwisht/ and divided into syllables as an·guished.

What is the origin of the word "Anguished"?

"Anguished" comes from Middle English anguysched, from past participle of anguischen "to anguish:2". First known use: 1570.

What is another word for "Anguished" meaning "expressing or suggesting mourning"?

When "Anguished" (adjective) means expressing or suggesting mourning, synonyms include aching, agonized, bemoaning, bewailing, bitter and deploring.