adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anguished
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at anguish, -ed 3
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.
"Come and help me! I'm on the front line in Ukraine, I'm fighting for Russia," he begged Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema in an anguished voice message sent to his parents.
From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026
Mr. Mahajan’s “The Complex” is an anguished, intelligent study of ambition decoupled from principles, and of the complacency and fear that allows it to thrive.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Daryll Olde is one of the anguished people pleading for answers about what happened to his dog, Tiny.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
The Dodgers’ $240-million signing of Kyle Tucker revived anguished cries that the team is ruining baseball.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026
Above him, the crowd on the bridge cried out, and then he heard anguished wails coming from the place where the city should be.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
