1
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
2
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
3
as in explosion
a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
the announcement that the war was over unleashed a mass agony of joy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of agony
The movies tend to do better in depicting agony over ecstasy, but The Testament of Ann Lee drops a potent depiction of the latter early on.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Dec. 2025
Ecstasy and agony all tangled up together.
—Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 15 Dec. 2025
Interestingly — presumably because Liverpool’s campaign ended in agony for Gerrard — the phrase is now generally used after defeat, as if to encourage some level of, well, bouncebackability.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Elsha Rivera Missing persons is another type of case that causes agony for family members.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agony
Noun
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In the ‘Groundhog Day’-esque nightmare that never ends, the ‘urgent’ and ‘engaged’ Boston Red Sox are up a creek without a paddle, vessel, and excuse, having lost out on a top – and very sign-able – free-agent target once again.—
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This artistic decision shifts the focus from the battlefield to the psychological and bureaucratic nightmare faced by those desperately trying to orchestrate a rescue from hundreds of miles away.—
Noun
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The plaintiff seeks damages for privacy invasion, emotional distress, reputational harm and alleged placement on government watch lists.—
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The initial wave of relief soon lifted, giving way to distress when Franco learned his home was uninhabitable.—
Noun
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Local media also reported that several explosions were heard before the fire began.—
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Jonathan Taylor’s offensive explosion helped push the Indianapolis Colts past the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first NFL regular-season game in Berlin, 31-25, in overtime.—
Noun
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Others though, like benzodiazepines, have wildly missed the mark, causing decades of unintended consequences and human misery.—
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Instead of getting used to the smells, her misery intensified with each passing day.—
Noun
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No adolescent defiance or child’s anguish was visible on his face now.—
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Some critics called for more editorial discipline in the film, or found Lawrence’s onscreen spin cycle of anguish, which involves literally clawing her way up walls or flinging herself through glass doors, to be repetitive.—
Noun
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The only constant is Mount Etna, looming off to one side, at times sputtering out smoke, ash, and short bursts of lava.—
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And yet, two-thirds into the song’s six-minute lurch, a beaming synth line appears like a biblical burst of light, a plea for sanctuary from perpetual chaos.—
Noun
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This is likewise the thrust of Salò, based on the Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, an orgiastic, disturbing carnival of torture, rape, and killing, reset by Pasolini in the town from which fascism reigned in the 1940s.—
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Marcano Tábata is widely identified by human rights groups as part of the command structure overseeing detention centers where political prisoners have been held, including facilities accused of systematic abuse and torture.—
Noun
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So Skinny Pedro had experienced the pain of seeing his dream simultaneously realized and shattered.—
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Hannah tells the jury how the pain affected her.—
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agony. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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