Agonizes

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To go through severe mental or physical pain, often stemming from a predicament
2. To endure intense suffering that complicates decision-making or life situations
3. Undergoes severe physical or emotional torment that heavily troubles the mind

Etymology: "Agonizes" is simply the third-person singular present form of "agonize," so the story belongs to the verb itself, which began as a fight. The root is the ancient Greek "agōnízomai," meaning "to fight" or "to contend," and it grew out of "agōn," a contest, particularly one held in public for prizes. Greek athletes and orators competed in such contests, and the sense of struggle carried over naturally into the idea of wrestling with a difficult problem. The verb reached English by way of French "agoniser" and Late Latin "agonizare," which kept the sense of contending or struggling. Over time, the emphasis shifted from physical combat toward inner torment, so that to agonize came to mean suffering mentally, especially while wrestling with a painful choice. The noun "agony," from the same Greek source, followed a similar path from struggle to intense pain.

Synonyms: torments, distresses, suffers

Antonyms: relieves, comforts