agonizing
Americanadjective
Usage
What does agonizing mean? Agonizing means filled with or resulting in agony—extreme pain or suffering, especially the kind that lasts for a long time. A close synonym is excruciating.Agony can be physical or emotional, and things that are agonizing can involve physical or emotional pain. A person who has just broken their leg and a person who has just experienced the death of a loved one could both be said to be in agonizing pain. To suffer an agonizing death is to experience an extremely painful one. An agonizing decision is one that is very hard to make due to being emotionally painful in some way.Agonizing is also the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb agonize, which can mean to be in agony. However, it most commonly means to put forth a great effort—to struggle or strive, as in She’s been agonizing about what to get you for your birthday. Example: She’s down and appears to be in agonizing pain—the trainers are coming onto the field now to help her.
Other Word Forms
- agonizingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of agonizing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Wood had been agonizing over what to say to convince the board to spare his life.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter recently reminded his newsletter’s readers that NBC used to promote “Today” as “America’s first family,” pointing out that “this agonizing week has shown why.”
From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026
When Murphy’s desperate friends finally found him and dug him out after 18 agonizing minutes, he was blue and not breathing, according to witnesses.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz slotted the winning field goal in overtime as the Buffalo Bills' latest bid to capture their first ever Super Bowl ended in an agonizing 33-30 playoff defeat on Saturday.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
His body revolted at what his instinct had made him do, and the result was a dry, sour, agonizing spell of kneeling and vomiting until his stomach and his heart were empty.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
