Agonise

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To undergo significant emotional or physical torment while wrestling with internal conflict and experiencing spiraling anxiety or distress
2. To endure severe distress or pain, often accompanied by emotional struggle and inner turmoil
3. To suffer greatly in mind or body, typically involving profound anxiety or despair

Etymology: The Greek verb "agōnizesthai" meant to fight for a prize in the athletic games, to contend in a contest, and the same root gave the Greek noun "agōn", a contest or public struggle. Only later did the idea of the struggle turn inward, into the anguish of a person wrestling with their own fears or doubts. That shift from the arena to the mind is what the modern sense preserves. The verb passed into Late Latin as "agonizare", meaning to struggle or be in anguish, and from there into French as "agoniser". English took it from French, and the sense of mental torment became its dominant meaning. The noun "agony" came into English through a similar route, which is why the two words share the same root. Spelling is the main difference between British and American usage: "agonise" follows the British convention, while "agonize" is the American form.

Synonyms: suffer, worry

Antonyms: comfort, ease