agonize
verb (used without object)
to suffer extreme pain or anguish; be in agony.
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.
After an agonizingly long pause, Marx responded to Clark’s question.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
"We all know what we came for. And that's world records. And so to be that agonizingly close, it's frustrating," Proud said.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Each time she went home to Texas agonizingly short of her ultimate goal, four years away from her next chance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
The Jamaicans hit the the woodwork three times in the second half, with substitute Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri going agonizingly close with a header that crashed off the post in the 87th minute.
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
Why was the pace of Nixon’s Vietnamization so agonizingly slow?
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
