Meaning & use
anguish
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Meanings
noununcountableformal
Deep suffering of the mind or body, usually caused by loss, fear or pain.
Grammar: Uncountable: in anguish, cry out in anguish.
Patterns
- in anguish
- anguish over something
She wept in anguish when she heard the news.
His face showed the anguish of a man who had lost everything.
The family endured months of anguish waiting for answers.
verbtransitive or intransitiveliterary
To feel or cause intense pain or distress.
Grammar: Often followed by over: anguish over a decision.
Patterns
- anguish over something
She anguished over whether to leave her job.
The delay anguished the waiting parents.
He anguished for years about the accident.
Word forms
| plural | anguishes |
|---|---|
| third person singular | anguishes |
| past tense | anguished |
| -ing form | anguishing |
Common combinations
- cry out in anguish
- He cried out in anguish at the sight.
- mental anguish
- The court awarded damages for mental anguish.
- in anguish
- The mother waited in anguish.
- deep anguish
- Her letters were full of deep anguish.
- anguish over
- He anguished over his choice.
- cause anguish
- The rumor caused her great anguish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- agony
- Agony is slightly more physical and sharp, and often used for pain at its peak.
- torment
- Torment suggests suffering that goes on and is caused by something or someone.
- distress
- Distress is milder and wider, and can describe a temporary upset.
- grief
- Grief is sorrow after a loss, while anguish can also come from fear or guilt.
Opposites
Word family
- anguished adjective
- showing or feeling deep suffering
- anguishing adjective
- causing deep suffering
- anguishedly adverb
- in a manner full of distress
Commonly confused: anguish or anger? anguish or languish?
anguish vs anger
Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, while anguish is suffering.
anguish vs languish
Languish means to weaken or stay in a bad state for a long time, and it looks similar to anguish.
Practice
Hearing nothing from her missing son for weeks, she lived in ______.
Choose one answer.
Anguish is deep suffering, which fits waiting for a missing child. Annoyance is too mild, and amusement and admiration are positive feelings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anguish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.