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In Ancient Greece, a public gathering was called agon. Since the Greeks placed a high value on sports and athletic competition, there were almost always athletic events at gatherings on festival days. The struggle to win the prize in such contests came to be called agonia. This term came also to be used for any difficult physical struggle and then for the pain that went with it—physical or mental. Our English word agony, meaning “intense pain of mind or body,” thus comes from a word that meant a happy celebration.
Examples of agony in a Sentence
Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
What began as a blissful afternoon in the Florida sun ended in agony when a Jeep Wrangler suddenly barreled over a man lying on the beach, police said.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Black is the ideal guy for the job here, screaming in agony while applying the nightmare product, and using Chester Cheetah as the alarmed straight man is inspired.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
That’s why there have countless films and even a couple of series constructed around the agony and the ecstasy of moviemaking.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agony
Cite this Entry
“Agony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agony. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Middle English agonie "agony," from Latin agonia (same meaning), from Greek agōnia "struggle," from agōn "gathering, contest for a prize"
Medical Definition
agony
noun
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