AGONY Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'agony' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress , misery , and suffering . While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne. // in agony over the death of their child

Q: Where would 'distress' be a reasonable alternative to 'agony'?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress. // the hurricane put everyone in great distress

Q: When is it sensible to use 'misery' instead of 'agony'?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss. // the homeless live with misery every day

Q: When is 'suffering' a more appropriate choice than 'agony'?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress. // the suffering of famine victims

agony

noun

ˈa-gə-nē

Definition of agony next

as in nightmare

a situation or state that causes great suffering and unhappiness waiting all those hours to hear if he'd survived the plane crash was pure agony

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind the agony of never knowing what happened to her son

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in explosion

a sudden intense expression of strong feeling the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun agony differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of agony are distress, misery, and suffering. While all these words mean "the state of being in great trouble," agony suggests pain too intense to be borne.

in agony over the death of their child

Where would distress be a reasonable alternative to agony?

The words distress and agony are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distress implies an external and usually temporary cause of great physical or mental strain and stress.

the hurricane put everyone in great distress

When is it sensible to use misery instead of agony?

The meanings of misery and agony largely overlap; however, misery stresses the unhappiness attending especially sickness, poverty, or loss.

the homeless live with misery every day

When is suffering a more appropriate choice than agony?

In some situations, the words suffering and agony are roughly equivalent. However, suffering implies conscious endurance of pain or distress.

the suffering of famine victims

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of agony But as The Six Triple Eight goes on, its favorite visual becomes Washington’s lovely face in tight-lipped agony as her character is confronted by injustice upon injustice and insult upon insult from a variety of white men. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024 Having at last regained hope from the fall of the House of Assad, the Syrian people expect no less from the countries that have for so many years allowed the country’s agony to continue at their expense. —

Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024 Santa Cruz’s tiny agonies manage a delicate balance between stately, shimmering guitar lines and plaintive synthesizer accompaniment while Bazan sings with a gusto that bests his finest performances. —

Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024 Her family, meanwhile, suffered the agony of losing their daughter while knowing the person who killed her was walking free. —

Nbc New York, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for agony

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony

Noun

But as Lydia and Paul know all too well, sometimes the home of your dreams can be a true nightmare.

Lynette Rice, Deadline, 27 Dec. 2024
But the dreamy winter backdrop soon turned into a snowy nightmare when the new engagement ring got lost in the ice.

Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024