Agonises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To endure severe pain or suffering while wrestling with emotional conflict or a difficult choice
2. To be subjected to intense stress or hardship, often leading to profound inner turmoil or an agonizing dilemma
3. To suffer extreme distress or pain in body or mind ; to wrestle intensely with a challenging choice or troubling feeling

Etymology: "Agonises" is the third-person singular present form of "agonise", so its history is that of the verb itself. That verb comes from Latin "agonizari", meaning to struggle or contend for a prize, and it is ultimately from Greek "agonizesthai", the same root that gave Greek "agon", a contest held at the games. The sense of physical struggle is still visible in the older meaning of "agonise", which was to be in great pain or anguish, and it is that sense of straining under pressure that the modern verb carries when someone suffers greatly over a problem.

Synonyms: torments, distresses, suffers, anguishes, worries

Antonyms: comforts, relaxes, soothes, calms, assures