Did you know?
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
Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
The death of this beautiful 12 year old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly.
—NPR, 5 Mar. 2025
Not much can be made of the expressions on their faces, but the contorted bodies are sketched to reveal a sense—even evoke a sound—of intermittent agony.
—Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 21 Feb. 2025
While the woman cries out in agony, the driver is seen on video getting out of the vehicle to assess the situation.
—Rebecca Pryor, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 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 14 Mar. 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
Share