throe

[throh]

noun

1. a violent spasm or pang; paroxysm.

2. a sharp attack of emotion.

3. throes,

   1. any violent convulsion or struggle.

      the throes of battle.

   2. the agony of death.

   3. the pains of childbirth.

throe

/ θrəʊ /

noun

1. rare,  a pang or pain

Word History and Origins

Origin of throe¹

1150–1200; Middle English throwe, alteration of thrawe ( -o- from Old English thrōwian to suffer, be in pain), Old English thrawu; cognate with Old Norse thrā (in līkthrā leprosy)

Word History and Origins

Origin of throe¹

Old English thrāwu threat; related to Old High German drawa threat, Old Norse thrā desire, thrauka to endure

Idioms and Phrases

see in the throes.

Example Sentences

Caught in the throes of optoomuchism, people become convinced that nothing can go wrong.

Read more on Literature

Tech companies are in the throes of an unprecedented build-out of datacenter infrastructure in the U.S., the scale of which has raised concerns among some investors and industry executives about an AI bubble.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On Tuesday, investors were in the throes of a global stock-market selloff triggered by concerns about valuations from corporate chief executives like Goldman Sachs’s David Solomon.

Read more on MarketWatch

That motif originated with his 2009 directorial debut, “Crazy Heart,” starring Jeff Bridges as a faded country music legend caught in the throes of alcoholism and trying to find a way forward.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This has raised some fears that Wall Street could be in the throes of an AI stock bubble reminiscent of the internet boom and crash experienced in the late 1990s and 2000.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• agony 

When To Use

What does throe mean?

The word throe refers to a pain, pang, or spasm, but it is very rarely used.It is almost exclusively used in the plural form throes, which refers to a state or condition of pain or violent convulsions, spasms, or pangs.Throes is especially associated with situations involving physical or emotional pain or agony, as in the throes of childbirth or the throes of grief. It can also be used in the context of a situation that’s an intense struggle, as in the throes of creation or the throes of revolution. The phrase death throes can refer to the agony of dying or it can be used metaphorically to refer to the final stages of something, as in The terrible reviews of his latest book represent the death throes of his career.The word throes is commonly used in the phrase in the throes of, meaning in the midst of something intense, especially a painful situation, a struggle, or a crisis, as in We were in the throes of battle when the reinforcements arrived. It can also be used in less serious situations, as in We were in the throes of a movie marathon when the power went out. Example: When I’m in the throes of the flu, I barely have the energy to get out of bed.