agonize
C1Formal to neutral. More common in written English and serious discussion than casual conversation.
Definition
Meaning
To suffer extreme mental or emotional distress, often while trying to make a difficult decision or contemplating something painful.
To spend a long time thinking and worrying about a difficult decision or problem; to undergo great mental struggle.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies prolonged, intense inner turmoil. Often used with 'over' to specify the cause of distress. Can describe both the process of deliberation and the experience of suffering.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'agonise' is standard in UK English, while 'agonize' is standard in US English. The verb is used similarly in both varieties, though perhaps slightly more common in American media narratives about personal choice.
Connotations
In both varieties, carries connotations of deep, almost excessive, preoccupation and distress. Not typically used for minor worries.
Frequency
Moderate frequency in both. More likely in written narratives, advice columns, psychological contexts, and descriptions of decision-making.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] agonizes.[Subject] agonizes over [object].[Subject] agonizes about [object].[Subject] agonizes for [time period].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “agonize over every detail”
- “agonize oneself sick”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used to describe a manager's prolonged decision-making about layoffs or a major investment.
Academic
Appears in psychological texts describing coping mechanisms or in historical analyses of leaders before crucial battles.
Everyday
Describing someone taking too long to choose a restaurant or what to wear for an important event.
Technical
Rare in technical contexts, but may appear in user experience (UX) writing about users struggling with complex choices.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She agonised for weeks before accepting the job offer.
- The committee is still agonising over the final shortlist.
- Don't agonise about the colour; just pick one you like.
American English
- He agonized over whether to sell the family house.
- Parents often agonize about choosing the right school.
- I agonized for hours before sending that difficult email.
adverb
British English
- She waited agonisingly for his call.
- The decision was made agonisingly slowly.
American English
- He paced the room agonizingly.
- The deadline approached agonizingly fast.
adjective
British English
- The agonising wait for the test results was unbearable.
- He went through an agonising period of self-doubt.
American English
- She described the decision as an agonizing one.
- The team faced an agonizing choice between two excellent candidates.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I always agonize over what to buy people for Christmas.
- She agonized about telling her friend the truth.
- The directors agonized for months over the proposed merger.
- He was openly agonizing about the ethical implications of his research.
- Historians have long agonized over the precise causes of the conflict.
- One must not agonize interminably over every minor flaw in the plan.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine an AGONy competition inside your mind (AGON-ize) where different choices fight, causing you great distress.
Conceptual Metaphor
DECISION-MAKING IS TORTURE / THINKING IS A PHYSICAL STRUGGLE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not 'agonizirovat'' in the sense of performing badly. The Russian borrowing is a false friend. The English word is internal, not a public performance.
- Different from 'страдать' (to suffer) which is broader; 'agonize' is specifically mental/emotional suffering over a choice or issue.
Common Mistakes
- Using it with a direct object without 'over/about' (e.g., *'I agonized the decision' - INCORRECT).
- Confusing it with 'agonise/agonize' as a transitive verb meaning 'to cause agony to' (archaic, not used in modern English).
- Using it for short-term, mild worry.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best captures the meaning of 'agonize'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, but not exclusively. It can also refer to prolonged worry or distress about a situation, outcome, or past event (e.g., 'agonize over a mistake'). The key is prolonged, intense mental suffering.
'Agonize' implies a much deeper, more prolonged, and more painful level of mental distress. Worrying can be mild and constant, while agonizing suggests a focused, intense struggle, often tied to a specific, weighty issue.
In modern English, almost never. The archaic transitive meaning 'to torture' is obsolete. Today, it is almost always intransitive, followed by 'over' or 'about' (e.g., 'agonize over the details').
Both are correct, following the same US/UK spelling distinction as the verb: 'agonizing' (US) and 'agonising' (UK).
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