# agony

/ˈæɡəni/ (US) · /ˈæɡəni/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/agony
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. extreme pain

noun · CEFR B2

extreme physical or mental pain that is very hard to bear.

For teachers: extreme physical suffering or intense mental distress. Often used in the singular to describe a specific episode of suffering.

- He lay on the ground in agony after breaking his leg during the match.
- The family waited in agony for news of the survivors, their distress mounting with every hour that passed without a word from the rescue team.

### 2. the struggle of dying

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

the final struggle or pain someone feels just before they die.

For teachers: the final physical struggle or suffering preceding death. Often used in literary or medical contexts to describe the transition to passing.

- The old stories described the hero's final agony on the battlefield.
- The poet captures the quiet agony of the fading year, drawing a parallel between the dying light of autumn and the end of a human life.

### 3. religious suffering

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

the great suffering of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.

For teachers: the intense spiritual and physical suffering of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. Usually capitalized in this specific theological context.

- The painting depicts the Agony in the Garden with dark, moody colours.
- The theologian argued that the Agony in the Garden represented the ultimate intersection of human fear and divine will.

## Examples

- He lay on the ground in agony after falling.
- Waiting for the test results was pure agony for the family, as every minute felt like an hour.
- The protagonist's internal agony is mirrored by the desolate landscape, suggesting that his psychological torment has completely colored his perception of the physical world.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.