agonize

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: ag=o=nize

CIDE DICTIONARY

agonize, v. i. [F. agoniser, LL. agonizare, fr. Gr. . See Agony.].

•  To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.  [1913 Webster]

  "To smart and agonize at every pore."  [1913 Webster]
•  To struggle; to wrestle; to strive desperately.  [1913 Webster]

agonize, v. t. 

 To cause to suffer agony; to subject to extreme pain; to torture.  [1913 Webster]
"He agonized his mother by his behavior."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

agonize, v. (also -ise)
1 intr. (often foll. by over) undergo (esp. mental) anguish; suffer agony.
2 tr. cause agony to.
3 tr. (as agonized adj.) expressing agony (an agonized look).
4 intr. struggle, contend.

Derivative

agonizingly adv.

Etymology

F agoniser or LL agonizare f. Gk agonizomai contend f. agon contest

THESAURUS

agonize

ache, afflict, agonize over, ail, anguish, battle, be at sea, be uncertain, bear, beat about, bite, blanch, bleed, blench, bloody, brood over, buffet, burn, chafe, claw, contend, convulse, crucify, cut, desolate, distress, doubt, endure, excruciate, feel pain, feel the pangs, feel unsure, fester, fight, flounder, fret, gall, give pain, gnaw, go hard with, grate, grieve, grimace, grind, gripe, grope, grunt and sweat, harrow, hassle, have a misery, huff and puff, hurt, impale, inflame, inflict pain, irritate, kill by inches, lacerate, lancinate, macerate, martyr, martyrize, mope, mourn, nip, pain, pierce, pinch, pine, pine away, pound, prick, prolong the agony, punish, put to torture, puzzle over, question, rack, rankle, rasp, rip, rub, savage, scarify, scuffle, shoot, shrink, smart, sorrow, squirm, stab, sting, strive, struggle, suffer, suffer anguish, take on, thrash about, thrill, throb, tingle, torment, torture, toss, trouble, try, tussle, tweak, twinge, twist, twitch, wince, wonder, wonder whether, wound, wrestle, wring, writhe

ROGET THESAURUS

agonize

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Physical Pain

VB feel pain, experience pain, suffer pain, undergo pain, suffer, ache, smart, bleed, tingle, shoot, twinge, twitch, lancinate, writhe, wince, make a wry face, sit on thorns, sit on pins and needles, give pain, inflict pain, lacerate, pain, hurt, chafe, sting, bite, gnaw, gripe, pinch, tweak, grate, gall, fret, prick, pierce, wring, convulse, torment, torture, rack, agonize, crucify, cruciate, excruciate, break on the wheel, put to the rack, flog, grate on the ear.