Agonized

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæ.ɡən.aɪzd/

Definitions

1. Suffering from extreme mental or physical pain that causes deep distress or anguish
2. Enduring significant emotional or bodily suffering, often marked by overwhelming distress or turmoil
3. Experiencing deep emotional or physical pain that causes severe discomfort and unease

Etymology: "Agonized" is the adjective form of "agonize," and its spelling with a "z" is the American variant of the British "agonised." The verb sits on the Greek word "agōnizesthai," meaning to struggle for victory in a contest, to contend for a prize in the games. Greek "agōn" was the contest itself, the athletic or dramatic competition held before an audience, and the root survives in English words such as "antagonist," literally one who struggles against another. The sense of suffering came through the idea of straining under pressure. A competitor pushed to the limit of exertion in a fight or race was in agony, and that physical strain gradually shifted toward mental and bodily anguish. English took on the word in the sense of torment and distress, and by the time "agonize" was used as a verb meaning to suffer intensely, the contest sense had largely fallen away, though it remains visible in the word's shape and its relatives.

Synonyms: tormented, suffering, wretched

Antonyms: comfortable, content