Agonizing

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæɡ.ə.naɪ.zɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Causing intense physical discomfort or severe emotional distress
2. Producing extreme pain or a deep sense of anguish
3. Creating a strong feeling of suffering, either bodily or mentally

Etymology: Its ancestor was a Greek word for a contest. "Agon" meant a struggle for a prize, the kind fought in athletic games and in public debates, where rivals argued for victory. The verb "agonizesthai" meant to strive hard to win, and from that sense grew the idea of wrestling with pain or fear. Greek "agonia" later meant the anguish of a fighter straining at the limit of endurance. Early Christian writers in Greek used it for Jesus's struggle in Gethsemane, and Latin borrowed the idea through "agonia" and the verb "agonizare." English "agonize" then took on the sense of suffering intensely, and the adjective "agonizing" keeps the old notion of straining against something that pushes a person to the edge of what they can bear.

Synonyms: torturous, excruciating

Antonyms: bearable, easy