1
as in horrors
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 pains
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 explosions
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agonies
And yet, in the scene on the Hill of Love, Lapid offers no self-questioning, no sense of cinematic exertion or trouble, in the fictional framing of the real agonies of Gaza.
—
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
The celebrated poet and memoirist, delves into the agonies of her decision and describes the emerging women’s liberation movement, of which Moore would soon become a participant.
—Literary Hub, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonies
Noun
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Peacock / Peacock Ellerup said the horrors of Heuermann’s reign of terror continue to dominate her waking and sleeping hours.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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Having witnessed the horrors of Nazi Germany, many older Stasi workers saw the East German state as the answer to creating a just and equitable society.—
Lauren Cassidy,
The Conversation,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Iran’s political leadership has been at pains to dispel reports of infighting and to project a unified approach to the country’s military objectives and negotiating strategy.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
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The pressures of fame and the pains of Michael’s brand of friendlessness are barely explored, beyond the requisite scenes of screaming fans crowding outside the family estate and a terrified Michael attempting to get away from them (while still politely waving).—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every once in a while, the TV would display the now ubiquitous images of Suspect One and Suspect Two, who had been caught by surveillance cameras, wearing backpacks and strolling near the finish line moments before the explosions.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
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In Bamako, sustained gunfire and explosions were heard near the main airport, forcing the cancellation of incoming and outgoing flights.—
Jewel Bright,
NPR,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The suit also said the attack traumatized other children who witnessed it, which continued to give them nightmares.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Strand also said Athena’s sister has required therapy and recently returned after experiencing nightmares about what happened, according to his testimony.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Before the emotional outbursts at the meeting Thursday, Kinnear-Rausch, Little and Williams all expressed their heartbreak over the death of Jaxon and pledged to fix problems that led to the tragedy.—
Julia Prodis Sulek,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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But, unexpectedly, its film version released that same year became a midnight movie phenom, marked by its impromptu audience outbursts and eventually becoming a counter-culture landmark, widening the generational divide even further.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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And allergy miseries don’t end after the spring.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Kay describes the aesthetic of the record in bursts.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
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Sycamore’s story is told in short bursts that immerse the reader into the present moment, creating a sense of urgency in the exploration of self, art, and family.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
One of his tortures is forcing his prisoners to watch it on repeat.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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In that final part of the cycle—the writing part—were torments, perhaps even tortures, but good things happened.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonies. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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