anguish

American  

[ang-gwish] / ˈæŋ gwɪʃ /

noun

1. excruciating or acute distress, suffering, or pain.

   the anguish of grief.

   Synonyms:

   torture, torment, agony

   Antonyms:

   relief, comfort, delight

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verb (used with object)

1. to inflict with distress, suffering, or pain.

verb (used without object)

1. to suffer, feel, or exhibit anguish.

   to anguish over the loss of a loved one.

anguish British  

/ ˈæŋɡwɪʃ /

noun

1. extreme pain or misery; mental or physical torture; agony

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verb

1. to afflict or be afflicted with anguish

Related Words

See pain.

Etymology

Origin of anguish

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English anguisse, from Old French, from Latin angustia “tight place,” from angust(us) “narrow” + -ia -ia; anxious

Example Sentences

But the former captain wants his players to learn from Thursday's anguish and approach the Northern Ireland friendly as they would a competitive fixture.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Most notably, Ms. Kaminsky portrays Alona’s anguish in her big revelation scene with a jagged vocal line that seems painfully extracted from her, with the cello echoing Timothi Williams’s vibrant mezzo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

That elegant dance matches what we see on stage, the kabuki performances melding melancholy and beauty, anguish and catharsis.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Among the many faulty narratives that orbited out of the government, one asked us to consider the mental anguish suffered by these dispatched officers.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

It was a charged time; the entire nation was frothing with anguish about its history and inheritance.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• agony
• grief
• heartache
• heartbreak
• misery
• sorrow
• suffering
• torment
• woe