Agonize

/ˈæɡ.ə.naɪz/

Meaning & Definition

verb

To cause someone to experience great physical or emotional pain.

The thought of letting her down would agonize him for days.

To spend a long time worrying about something.

She would agonize for hours over the perfect wording for her speech.

To suffer extreme distress, physical pain, or mental anguish.

He began to agonize over the decision, worrying about the consequences.

From the Greek 'agonizesthai', meaning 'to contend for a prize' or 'to struggle'.

agonizing decision

A choice that causes a lot of pain and difficulty.

agonizing pain

Intense physical pain that is hard to bear.

agonize over something

To spend a lot of time worrying or thinking about a difficult choice.

anguish

Severe mental or physical pain or suffering.

torture

The act of inflicting severe pain on someone as punishment or to force them to do something.

distress

Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

To think too much about something.

Stop agonizing; just make a decision already!

To go through unnecessary stress.

There's no need to agonize over it; it’s not that serious.