agonize

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/ UK /ˈæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/ See IPA manual

Freq #58298

Meanings

1

verb
To worry or think very anxiously about a difficult decision.

She agonized for weeks over which job to take.
2

verb
To suffer great physical or mental pain.

He lay agonizing in pain until the ambulance arrived.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to worry or think very... fret

2 verb · to suffer great physical or... suffer ache

More bereave lament torture

Opposites

chill relax

Word family

Forms agonisedagonisingagonizedagonizesagonizingagonizingly

Derived forms agonizeroveragonize

Related forms agonagonizationagonizingagonydeagonize

Etymology

From French agoniser, from Late Latin agonizare, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, “to fight, contend”). See agony. By surface analysis, agon + -ize.

*h₂eǵ- Proto-Indo-European agoniser French agonizare la-lat ἀγωνίζομαι Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# agonize

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/
**Frequency rank:** 58298

## Meanings
1. To worry or think very anxiously about a difficult decision.
2. To suffer great physical or mental pain.

## Examples
- She agonized for weeks over which job to take.
- He lay agonizing in pain until the ambulance arrived.

## Synonyms
- bereave
- fret
- lament
- torture

## Antonyms
- chill
- relax

## Derived Forms
- agonizer
- overagonize

## Related Forms
- agon
- agonization
- agonizing
- agony
- deagonize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₂eǵ-
- Root: agoniser
- Root: agonizare
- Root: ἀγωνίζομαι

## Etymology
From French agoniser, from Late Latin agonizare, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, “to fight, contend”). See agony. By surface analysis, agon + -ize.

## AI Etymology
Agonize comes from French agoniser, from Late Latin agonizare, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, “to fight, contend”). Compare agony. By surface analysis, agon plus -ize. The historical line also includes Proto-Indo-European *h₂eǵ-. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern verbal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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