ANGUISHED Synonyms: 256 Similar and Opposite Words

anguished 1 of 2

adjective

ˈaŋ-gwisht

Definition of anguished

as in weeping

expressing or suggesting mourning an anguished cry the military's explanation of the accident did nothing to console the anguished widow

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

anguished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of anguish

as in plagued

to cause persistent suffering to she was anguished by the fear that her sons would die in the war

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grieved

to feel deep sadness or mental pain I anguished over the loss of my father for years afterwards

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of anguished

Adjective

The creator of vivid, indelible fantasies for women to try on and to embody was also a fragile and anguished man, troubled throughout his life by alcohol, drug dependency, and bouts of debilitating depression. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026 Drew Bos, last seen at OPFT as Romeo’s buddy Benvolio in 2024, stars as the Danish prince whose visions of his late father (Charls Sedgwick Hall) prompt an anguished internal reckoning over his bitter desire for revenge and suicidal thoughts. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Verb

There is a mood to these stories, sardonic and anguished in turn, that gets under your skin. — Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025 Insert anguished grimace emoji here. — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for anguished

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anguished

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Verb

Fashion’s relationship with art is a conundrum that’s plagued the minds of some of its greatest auteurs.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 3 Oct. 2026
Taking the Long Way was never going to be country enough for some, but that was something the Chicks were always plagued with, even in their early busking days on the streets of Dallas.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of plagued

Verb

Several fans grieved the restaurant’s closing on its social pages.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Jake Reiner sat for an interview with ABC7 Los Angeles on Thursday, delving into how his surviving family has grieved during the past several months since his parents’ deaths.

— Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grieved

Adjective

But the production here betrays its economy, and the direction, by Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, remains earthbound, held down by mournful strings and devoid of color.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Tender Loving Care is a gentle, mournful, funny portrait of a family whose future is shadowed by uncertainty but tries to face life with cheeriness.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of mournful

Verb

Those governments provide assurances that people won’t be persecuted or tortured, federal attorneys said.

— Lindsay Whitehurst, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Also, some immigration cases involve people seeking asylum because they are being persecuted by a foreign government and releasing a person’s full name could be considered sensitive or even dangerous.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of persecuted

Verb

In a statement later on Saturday, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem mourned Maisa Abu Dawoud and her daughter, Mary, extending condolences to their family.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
In the ensuing days, Yurash's social media posts mourned Kuvshynova's death and railed at the Russians.

— David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of mourned

Adjective

Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.

— Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Daria’s heartbroken family declined to comment on her death Saturday.

— Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Verb

While the epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, serious damage afflicted residents across the island as roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides destroyed everything in their path.

— Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Here’s my Sunday postgame piece on a miserable condition that has afflicted Dolphins fans for years, and our plea to Jon-Eric Sullivan to fix it.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of afflicted

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“Anguished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anguished. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of anguished

adjective

verb

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