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agonizing

[ag-uh-nahy-zing]
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adjective

accompanied by, filled with, or resulting in agony or distress: We spent an agonizing hour waiting to hear if the accident had been serious or not.

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RELATED WORDS

tortuous, harrowing, intense, excruciating, tormenting, disturbing, torturing, racking, struggling, tearing, extreme, fierce, vehement, violent

Origin of agonizing

First recorded in 1660–70; agonize + -ing2
Related formsag·o·niz·ing·ly, adverb

agonize

[ag-uh-nahyz]

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.
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. 2019

Examples from the Web for agonizing

Contemporary Examples of agonizing

Historical Examples of agonizing

British Dictionary definitions for agonizing

agonize

agonise

verb

to suffer or cause to suffer agony
(intr) to make a desperate effort; struggle; strive
Derived Formsagonizingly 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
Word Origin and History for agonizing

agonize

v.

1580s, "to torture," from Middle French agoniser or directly from Medieval Latin agonizare, from Greek agonizesthai "to contend in the struggle" (see agony). Intransitive sense of "to suffer physical pain" is recorded from 1660s. That of "to worry intensely" is from 1853. Related: Agonized; agonizing.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper