agonize

[ ag-uh-nahyz ]

verb (used without object)

, ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing.

1. to suffer extreme pain or anguish; be in agony.
2. to put forth great effort of any kind.

verb (used with object)

, ag·o·nized, ag·o·niz·ing.

1. to distress with extreme pain; torture.

agonize

/ ˈæɡəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. to suffer or cause to suffer agony
2. intr to make a desperate effort; struggle; strive

Derived Forms

• ˈagoˌnizingly, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of agonize¹

1575–85; < Medieval Latin agōnizāre < Greek agōnízesthai to struggle (for a prize), equivalent to agōn- agon + -izesthai -ize

Word History and Origins

Origin of agonize¹

C16: via Medieval Latin from Greek agōnizesthai to contend for a prize, from agōn agon

Example Sentences

I agonize over the amount of plastic we can’t avoid using and mourn the monarch butterflies that have vanished.

From Los Angeles Times

We don’t know enough about him to agonize with him.

From Los Angeles Times

But a year of watching women and doctors agonize under Tennessee’s strict abortion ban kicked up a fire in the longtime Democrat.

From Seattle Times

When they wed, their fans swoon; when stars divorce, people agonize over what went wrong.

From Salon

They worked through hundreds of sketches by hand, then transported the design into Adobe Illustrator to agonize over details such as the curvature of the ribbon in its bottom right corner.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• disturb
• excruciate
• harrow
• lament