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# agony

noun (agony, agonies)

«agony» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Very great pain of the body. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#m1)
2. Very great worry or sadness of the mind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#m2)
3. (informal) Something very annoying or hard: «The waiting was agony!» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories and medicine it shows strong pain; in everyday talk people exaggerate («Maths homework is agony»). Phrases: «in agony», «agony aunt» (UK: someone who answers readers' problems in a magazine), «the agony of waiting».

### Examples

- He was in agony after breaking his arm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x1)
- Waiting for the results was agony. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x2)
- The agony of losing the final stayed with her. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x3)
- Call for help if someone is in agony. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x4)
- My new shoes were agony on the long walk. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x5)
- The magazine has an agony aunt. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x6)
- A cry of agony escaped from him; he struggled to get free, and tottered from her. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/#x7)

### Note

Usually uncountable. Adjective: agonising (UK) / agonizing (US). Stronger than «pain».

## In Jewish tradition

In stories and medicine it shows strong pain; in everyday talk people exaggerate («Maths homework is agony»). Phrases: «in agony», «agony aunt» (UK: someone who answers readers' problems in a magazine), «the agony of waiting».

### Examples

- And he said unto me: Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me, for the agony hath taken hold of me; because my life is just yet in me. (Prophets 2SA.1.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/agony/#x1)

### Note

Usually uncountable. Adjective: agonising (UK) / agonizing (US). Stronger than «pain».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «agony» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/A/agony/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«agony» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/agony.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «agony» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/A/agony/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«agony» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/agony.html) on Mova free.