1
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
as a new teacher, she was in real anguish over the decision to report the cheating
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2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
words can't express my anguish at losing my cat
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to plague
to cause persistent suffering to
she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to grieve
to feel deep sadness or mental pain
I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anguish
Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Her teammates surrounded her, doing their best to block her anguish from the view of nearby photographers, before trainers arrived to help her.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
Trump has won voters who once voted for FDR, and Democrats will anguish over how to get them back without alienating the other parts of their coalition, including women, young people and people of color.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Noun
The lawsuit seeks damages for medical and burial expenses and mental pain and anguish.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 5 Mar. 2025
Her teammates surrounded her, doing their best to block her anguish from the view of nearby photographers, before trainers arrived to help her.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
Abraham Lincoln hated the death penalty and anguished over every case in which he was asked to commute it.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 Dec. 2024
Trump has won voters who once voted for FDR, and Democrats will anguish over how to get them back without alienating the other parts of their coalition, including women, young people and people of color.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for anguish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguish
Noun
-
At the Santa Monica test location after the rains, the level of beryllium — a metal that is toxic to fish and corals and causes respiratory distress in humans — was more than 10 times the maximum limit allowed.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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The result: Some doctors and hospitals have held back on treatments, waiting for the fetal heartbeat to stop or for patients to wind up in undeniable distress.—
Kavitha Surana,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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His eyes filled with sorrow as his mom gave Lola all the attention.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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Emotions and sorrow were palpable even though Prine has been dead for nearly five years.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Puerto Rico is frequently plagued by power outages, with the most recent island-wide event on New Year's Eve taking days to resolve.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Now a depth arm in the organization who was called up from triple-A Oklahoma City for a spot start Wednesday, Miller’s first MLB outing of 2025 mirrored the struggles that plagued him over the rest of 2024.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Tom Richard Santos with John of Sherwood: After the death of Robin Hood, a grieving Little John returns to his ancestral Celtic tribe to protect it from the corrupt Church bent on stealing its land — and to confront the dark truth of his crimes as a Merry Man.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2025
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Bravo’s grieving family were further frustrated by the California Highway Patrol’s decision not to issue an Amber Alert — the statewide alert activated by authorities to help find missing children — after Lee and the children disappeared.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His experiences at Fuchu Prison left him with frostbite, screaming in agony, after being exposed to sub-zero temperatures during 20 days in solitary confinement.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
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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
Noun
-
Those ancient Greeks sing their grief at the highest pitch, which, as Carson points out, is rage.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
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Although there are many layers to a layoff, including the emotions of grief, shock and purpose since our jobs are often inextricably linked to our identities, this column focuses on the legal aspects from experts.—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Sold to the public as increasing transparency, the legislation has been utilized to persecute Georgia’s opposition and arrest dissidents with impunity.—
Anastasiya Zavyalova,
The Conversation,
28 Mar. 2025
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Again, none of these Beautiful People ever thought of assisting Americans who were being persecuted by the Deep State these last few years before Jan. 20.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Toronto has, for years, been aching for a superstar to stay in its midst.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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That day, an elbow that ached throughout his rehab from Tommy John surgery gave way.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguish. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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