Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

agony

 - 4 dictionary results

ag⋅o⋅ny

  [ag-uh-nee]
Use agony in a Sentence
–noun, plural -nies.
1. extreme and generally prolonged pain; intense physical or mental suffering.
2. a display or outburst of intense mental or emotional excitement: an agony of joy.
3. the struggle preceding natural death: mortal agony.
4. a violent struggle.
5. (often initial capital letter) Theology. the sufferings of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME agonye (< AF) < LL agōnia < Gk, equiv. to agn agon + -ia -y 3

Synonyms:
1. anguish, torment, torture. See pain. 2. paroxysm.

Antonyms:
1. comfort, ease, pleasure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To agony
ag·o·ny   (āg'ə-nē)   
n.   pl. ag·o·nies

  1. The suffering of intense physical or mental pain.

  2. The struggle that precedes death.

  3. A sudden or intense emotion: an agony of doubt.

  4. A violent, intense struggle.


[Middle English agonie, from Old French, from Late Latin agōnia, from Greek agōniā, from agōn, struggle, from agein, to drive; see ag- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ag·o·ny
Pronunciation: 'ag-&-nE
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -nies
1 : intense pain ofmind or body
2 : the struggle that precedes death
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Bible Dictionary

Agony

contest; wrestling; severe struggling with pain and suffering. Anguish is the reflection on evil that is already past, while agony is a struggle with evil at the time present. It is only used in the New Testament by Luke (22:44) to describe our Lord's fearful struggle in Gethsemane. The verb from which the noun "agony" is derived is used to denote an earnest endeavour or striving, as "Strive [agonize] to enter" (Luke 13:24); "Then would my servants fight" [agonize] (John 18:36). Comp. 1 Cor. 9:25; Col. 1:29; 4:12; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7, where the words "striveth," "labour," "conflict," "fight," are the renderings of the same Greek verb.

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
Cite This Source
Search another word or see agony on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way