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agonize

[ ag-uh-nahyz ]
/ ˈæg əˌnaɪz /
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See synonyms for: agonize / agonized / agonizing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object), ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing.
to suffer extreme pain or anguish; be in agony.
to put forth great effort of any kind.
verb (used with object), ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing.
to distress with extreme pain; torture.
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Also especially British, ag·o·nise .

Origin of agonize

1575–85; <Medieval Latin agōnizāre<Greek agōnízesthai to struggle (for a prize), equivalent to agōn-agon + -izesthai-ize
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use agonize in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for agonize

agonize

agonise

/ (ˈæɡəˌnaɪz) /

verb
to suffer or cause to suffer agony
(intr) to make a desperate effort; struggle; strive

Derived forms of agonize

agonizingly or agonisingly, adverb

Word Origin for agonize

C16: via Medieval Latin from Greek agōnizesthai to contend for a prize, from agōn agon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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