anguish

1 of 2

noun

an·​guish ˈaŋ-gwish How to pronounce anguish (audio)
: extreme pain, distress, or anxiety
cries of anguish
mental anguish

anguish

2 of 2

verb

anguished; anguishing; anguishes

intransitive verb

: to suffer anguish
He anguished over his failure.

transitive verb

: to cause to suffer anguish
a heart that had been anguished with sorrow
Choose the Right Synonym for anguish

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of anguish in a Sentence

Noun He experienced the anguish of divorce after 10 years of marriage. They watched in anguish as fire spread through the house. Verb she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But the series lacks the perspective to consider anything outside of this black hole of anguish. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Mar. 2024 The constant emotional anguish of early life turned him into a future superstar. Scott Howard-Cooper., Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 One night his tears of anguish turn the pile into a loving sock monster named Crust who becomes his protector and friend. Caroline Brew, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Wails of anguish rang in the air as several officers carried the body into a police van using a thin duvet. Abdi Latif Dahir, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2024 Families have followed the negotiations with hope and anguish. Compiled By Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 26 Feb. 2024 This is partially because the drama feels so heavy-handed, with the director relying on lots of symbolism, a nonstop brooding score and too many close-ups to convey the anguish and sorrow of her characters. Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce expressed anguish over the shooting. Nouran Salahieh, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Just days before a crucial Champions League last 16 match against Real Sociedad, the anecdote speaks volumes about the anguish of supporters at the thought of their best player leaving. Samuel Petrequin, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024
Verb
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has anguished over the rise of inflation for more than two years now. Will Daniel, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 But none of his legal troubles seem to have anguished Mr. Trump quite like the fraud case. Ben Protess, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 But fans, though initially thrilled, were anguished to learn that the title will not roll out until 2025 — a year later than expected. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2023 Jews were neither the first nor certainly the last minority to anguish over that conflict between representing and transcending identity. Jesse Green, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Church’s work is anguished and may well qualify as a cheesy metaphor. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 Most anguished, however, are Fitger’s fruitless letters of protest about the destruction raining down on the English department as the economics department on the floor above is refurbished in grand style, its faculty rehoused in comfort elsewhere, while English crouches below in the rubble. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023 Bonnie’s mother, Raye, anguished and exasperated, sought help from psychics. Eric J. Greenberg, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2023 And so, after a first contact through the test’s website, and months of emails, anguished phone calls and sleepless nights in both men’s families, Mr. Beauvais and Mr. Ambrose came to the conclusion two years ago that they had been switched at birth. Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times, 19 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'anguish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English angoise, angwissche, borrowed from Anglo-French anguisse, angoisse, going back to Latin angustia (usually in plural angustiae) "narrowness, narrow passage, limitations, straits" (Late Latin, "suffering, distress"), noun derivative (with -ia -y entry 2), of angustus "narrow, confined, straitened," probably from *angos- (whence angōr-, angor "suffocation, anguish") + *-to-, adjective suffix — more at anger entry 1

Verb

Middle English anguisen, anguischen "to grieve, be distressed," borrowed from Anglo-French anguisser, angoisser "to distress, cause pain to, (as reflexive verb) suffer, be tormented," going back to Late Latin angustiāre "to compress, afflict, be in difficult circumstances," derivative of Latin angustia "narrowness, straits" — more at anguish entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of anguish was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near anguish

Cite this Entry

“Anguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anguish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anguish

noun
an·​guish
ˈaŋ-gwish
: extreme pain or distress of body or mind
anguished
-gwisht
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on anguish

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