agonizing

ag·o·niz·ing
A1G2O1N1I1Z10I1N1G2
/ˈæɡ.ə.naɪ.zɪŋ/

adjective

Causing physical or mental agony.

“It was an agonizing twenty-minute wait for the results.”

Similar
ailsomeexcruciatinggroanfulhellishhurtfulbruisingpainablepainful
Opposite
pleasantpleasing
Less commonScrabble 20
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Meanings

adjectiveagonizing (comparative more agonizing, superlative most agonizing)

comparative more agonizing · superlative most agonizing · alternative agonising

  1. Causing physical or mental agony.

    It was an agonizing twenty-minute wait for the results.

    Synonyms: ailsome, excruciating, groanful, hellish, hurtful, bruising, painable, painful

verb

alternative agonising

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of agonize
nounagonizing (plural agonizings)

plural agonizings · alternative agonising

  1. The act of one who agonizes.

    I never breathed a word of my doubts and mental agonizings to my mother; I spoke to her only of my bodily sufferings; yet she knew it all, and I knew that she knew.

    1918, W. H. Hudson, Far Away and Long Ago

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCausing physical or mental agony.

Similar
ailsomeexcruciatinggroanfulhellishhurtfulbruisingpainablepainfulterribletormentingtormentoustorturousunpleasantwrenchful
Opposite
pleasantpleasing

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveextremely painful

Similar
agonisingexcruciatingharrowingtorturingtorturoustorturesomepainful
Also see
agonisingailsomeexcruciatingharrowinghellishpainablepainfultormentuoustorturesometorturingtorturous

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian мъчителен, мъчен
  • мъчителен (măčitelen)causing agony
  • мъчен (măčen)causing agony
Esperanto angoriga
  • angorigacausing agony
Finnish piinaava
  • piinaavacausing agony
French agonisant
  • agonisantcausing agony
Irish pianpháiseach, léanmhar
  • pianpháiseachcausing agony
  • léanmharcausing agony
  • piolóideachcausing agony
  • coscrachcausing agony
Latin cruciabilis
  • cruciabiliscausing agony
Persian پر تب و تاب
  • پر تب و تاب (por tab-o-tâb)causing agony
Portuguese agonizante
  • agonizantecausing agony
Russian мучительный
  • мучительный (mučitelʹnyj)causing agony
Spanish terrible, angustioso
  • terriblecausing agony
  • angustiosocausing agony
  • agonizantecausing agony
Cite this entry
APA

agonizing. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agonizing

MLA

“agonizing.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agonizing. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “agonizing,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/agonizing.

Source: agonizing on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.