agonizing

[ ag-uh-nahy-zing ]
/ ˈæg əˌnaɪ zɪŋ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR agonizing ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of agonizing

First recorded in 1660–70; agonize + -ing2

OTHER WORDS FROM agonizing

ag·o·niz·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby agonizing

agonic line, agonist, agonistic, agonize, agonized, agonizing, agony, agony aunt, agony column, agony uncle, agora
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to agonizingly

awkwardly, excruciatingly, disturbingly, restlessly, uneasily, badly, vigorously, severely, miserably, annoyingly, irritatingly, wretchedly, carefully, hardly, harshly, inconveniently, laboriously, painfully, roughly, strenuously

Example sentences from the Web for agonizingly