adjective
Other Word Forms
- nonanguished adjective
- unanguished adjective
Etymology
Origin of anguished
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; 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.
Scenes of celebration at the prison gates included several prisoners with shaved heads who shouted "We are free!" as they exited, ending an anguished wait by their families.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 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
We would live in a swirl of anguished mass confusion.
From Slate • Jan. 9, 2026
When an astonished Ms. Kuehn confronted her father, then nearing 70, on the phone, he dodged her questions before breaking down in anguished sobs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
I still hear from anguished kids, but far less often; coming in a smaller stream, their stories are both more manageable and less painful.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
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.
