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.
Watching Adrian on video seems to make for an anguished paradox: The more he sees him, the more absolute his absence feels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
There were anguished gasps from the crowd as Gauff, in total control of the point, snatched at a drop shot and sent it sinking into the net.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
That kind of anguished, not-funny witticism is another commonplace of the American educated classes: OMG, what has happened to this country?
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
“Tommi Mejer is anguished over the terrible accident,” read the statement from attorneys Paul S. Meyer and Lolita Kirk.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
“The dreadful RAUW,” cried the anguished DYNNE, “was my grandfather. He perished in the great silence epidemic of 1712.”
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
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.
