agonyag‧o‧ny /ˈæɡəni/ ●○○ noun (plural agonies) [countable, uncountable] 
the agony of arthritisin agony I was in agony. He groaned in agony.► see thesaurus at pain2a very sad, difficult, or unpleasant experience: It was agony not knowing if she would live.agony of He was in agonies of remorse. → pile on the pressure/agony at pile, → prolong the agony at prolong(2)
WORD ORIGINagony
Origin:
1300-1400 Late Latin agonia, from Greek, ‘trouble, great anxiety’, from agon ‘competition for a prize’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- In the book she describes the agony of watching her child die.
- It was agony not knowing where he was.
- With renewed fighting for control of the capital, there seems to be no end to the region's agony.
- But Greenspun's upscale decor pales as she talks of another time and place full of pain and agony.
- In retrospect, dying of the disease itself would seem infinitely preferable to the agonies of death from mercury poisoning.
- People covered their mouths in agony.
- She's been in agony with a long term back disorder.
- The instant the light hit my pupils, the agony began.
- The pure hell of making a speech is only equalled by the agony of the audience.
THESAURUS
noun [countable, uncountable] the feeling when part of your body hurts: · A broken leg can cause a lot of pain.· He felt a sharp pain in his chest.
noun [countable, uncountable] a continuous pain, especially one that is not very bad. Most commonly used in compounds such as headache, toothache, and backache: · I felt an ache in my back after decorating all day.· Driving gives me a headache.· I’ve got stomach ache.· Do you have earache?
noun [countable] a sudden slight pain that comes and then disappears quickly: · When I bent down I felt a twinge in my back.
noun [uncountable] formal an uncomfortable feeling in your body, or a slight pain: · The procedure takes five minutes and only causes slight discomfort.
noun [uncountable] a feeling of great pain, or a situation in which you feel a lot of pain: · the agony of childbirth· I was in agony by the time I got to the hospital.· It was agony (=very painful)getting up out of bed.
noun [uncountable] continuous physical or mental pain, which makes someone very unhappy: · I just wanted someone to put an end to my suffering.· the suffering of the earthquake victims
Longman Language Activatorwhen something makes someone feel pain if something or someone hurts you, they make you feel pain: · Did it hurt when they stuck the needle in?· Stop it - you're hurting me.
to cause a sudden sharp pain on your skin or in your eyes for a short time: · The antiseptic might sting a little.· The smoke stung my eyes.
if a substance irritates a part of your body, especially your eyes or your skin, it makes it become sore: · The pollen irritated my eyes, which were red and streaming with tears.· Nineteen percent of women will still use a beauty product, even if it irritates their skin.
if pain or a particular movement is agonizing or excruciating , it is extremely strong so that you are almost unable to move or do something: · The pain moved to my elbow, and it became agonizing to even lift my arm.· The excruciating pain in his kidneys made him gasp.
especially British, informal if something you do or something someone does to you is agony , it hurts a lot: · It was agony having my tooth removed - I don't think the dentist knew what he was doing.· Climbing five flights of stairs with all those bags was absolute bloody agony.
to feel pain to have a pain in a particular part of your body: · She came into casualty complaining that she had a pain in her side.· The next morning, after feeling a sharp pain in his fingers, Gonzalez was treated for frostbite at City Hospital.
to be experiencing a lot of pain: · Young children cry if they are in pain, if they are hungry or if they are left alone.· Someone was crying, as if they were in pain.be in constant pain (=be in pain all the time): · Some of these patients are very sick and in constant pain.be in a lot of pain/be in great pain: · Caroline's been in a lot of pain since the operation.
to feel a lot of very severe pain: · He was in agony. We had to carry him up the stairs.· My mother lived for four more days, but she was in agony.
something painful or unpleasant that you suffer very unpleasant, painful, or upsetting conditions - use this especially about a situation that affects a lot of people: · The earthquake has caused massive damage and a great deal of human suffering.· Reporters described the suffering they had seen in the war zone.
when your life is difficult and uncomfortable, especially because you are very poor: · During the war we faced many hardships.· Rising food prices caused great hardship for most of the population.· Many students suffer financial hardship.
a difficult and unpleasant situation, in which people are suffering a lot and that makes you feel great sympathy for them: · The film deals with the nomadic desert people of the Sahel, whose plight has worsened in the recent years of drought.· A new report exposes the plight of skilled nurses, who work long hours for very low rates of pay.
a very sad, difficult, and unpleasant situation in which people suffer a lot, especially over a long time: · In the book she describes the agony of watching her child die.· With renewed fighting for control of the capital, there seems to be no end to the region's agony.
severe mental suffering, often continuing for a long time: · She suffered years of private torment over her decision to have her children adopted.· It's difficult for us to understand the torment the hostages are going through.
written a situation in which you have continuing difficulties that seem to be caused by bad luck: · They have suffered more than their fair share of adversity and managed to overcome it every time.in the face of adversity (=when experiencing adversity): · She somehow manages to keep laughing in the face of adversity.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He lay writhing in pain.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
British English (=that gives advice to readers about personal problems)· Romantic relationships are much discussed in all the agony columns.
· He screamed in fear and panic, and banged frantically on the door.
· My screams of terror awoke my parents.
He lay writhing in pain.· And when things were going against his men he seemed to be suffering mental agonies.
NOUN· While writing her agony aunt column, she remained busy as a reporter, interviewing figures including Margaret Thatcher.· Being agony aunt was tricky and probably quite beyond her.· I am still friends with my ex-husband who takes it on himself to be my personal agony aunt.· In fact they would be just as likely to turn to the agony aunt pages of a magazine.· Then he sat down and typed a letter to every agony aunt he had ever heard of.· He hated playing agony aunt but he couldn't afford to have Hirschfeldt falling to pieces.· Claire Rayner is a novelist, broadcaster and agony aunt.
· The death agonies of monsters filled the sea with foam.· What we are witnessing is a further confirmation of the judgment that capitalism is in its death agony.· And a few streets away, Donald was probably in his death agony.· Mentally, Mrs Stych felt as if she were writhing in her death agonies.· The scene of Stalin's death agony was grotesque.
VERB· He had four chances of piling on the agony for the Londoners but could not find a way past keeper Bob Bolder.· Woosnam piled on the agony with four successive birdies.· It piled on the agony for Glasgow, who had passed up another chance two minutes before the break.
· There was no sense in prolonging the agony.· She played her part to the end, grateful that Ace didn't seem keen on prolonging the agony.· The last thing she wanted was to prolong the agony.· Without prolonging the agony for them both any longer she got up and left the room.· They are now 20 years older and must realise that to remain silent is to prolong the agony for Brian's parents.· You said you'd wait till I came to you of my own free will; let's not prolong the agony any longer.· In reality it can only serve to prolong their agony.· Goodness knows I do not wish to prolong the agony, but I feel some clarity is needed.
· Rincewind's arms screamed their agony at him.· Pins pierced his body; he screamed, twitching in agony, then slumped to the ground.· Conroy was restrained by Mr Ali but when police arrived the shopkeeper was screaming in agony.· Only out of sheer mastery of will did I not scream in agony.· He screamed in agony and fell to his knees, cradling his broken nose between his bloodied hands.· Lying there on the floor, cords biting into wrists and ankles, they heard Maureen screaming with terror and agony.· Rain hissed all around it ... and now Pearce was screaming in agony and distress.
· Sister Duffy becomes a patient and suffers agonies over the fate of her love-child, little Peter.· If you have suffered the agony of being laid off you may believe there are no positive benefits to it.· Few suffer the agony of Johanna Young's parents and find that their worst nightmare has become a reality.· Without Dana I was suffering the agonies of hell.· The dead had become offensive and the living were suffering fearful agonies.· Because it was left untreated, he suffered another year of agony.· And when things were going against his men he seemed to be suffering mental agonies.
· Mentally, Mrs Stych felt as if she were writhing in her death agonies.· Within moments the man had me writhing around in agony as he dug his hands into my feet, ankles and calves.· Her hands twisted in the coverlet beside her head, and she writhed in an agony of pleasure.· Police found the pair writhing in agony in the road.· But soon after she was writhing in agony, her muscles racked with pain.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1very severe pain: - And Walsh piled on the pressure to get promises of advertising business.
- He had four chances of piling on the agony for the Londoners but could not find a way past keeper Bob Bolder.
- It piled on the agony for Glasgow, who had passed up another chance two minutes before the break.
- Move round him, piling on the pressure from different directions.
- Pressure Gornei piled on the pressure from the start and by the end of the contest Griffin's face was badly swollen.
- Then we really pile on the pressure.
- They piled on the pressure to win handsomely by 30 shots.
- Woosnam piled on the agony with four successive birdies.
- Goodness knows I do not wish to prolong the agony, but I feel some clarity is needed.
- She played her part to the end, grateful that Ace didn't seem keen on prolonging the agony.
- The last thing she wanted was to prolong the agony.
- There was no sense in prolonging the agony.
- They are now 20 years older and must realise that to remain silent is to prolong the agony for Brian's parents.
- Without prolonging the agony for them both any longer she got up and left the room.
- You said you'd wait till I came to you of my own free will; let's not prolong the agony any longer.
the agony of arthritisin agony I was in agony. He groaned in agony.► see thesaurus at pain2a very sad, difficult, or unpleasant experience: It was agony not knowing if she would live.agony of He was in agonies of remorse. → pile on the pressure/agony at pile, → prolong the agony at prolong(2)