agony

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀγωνία (agōnía, “emulation, competition, struggle”), from ἀγών (agṓn, “contest”).

Pronunciation

• audio (US):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.ɡə.niː/

Noun

agony (countable and uncountable, plural agonies)

1. Violent contest or striving.
   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, Chapter 10

     The world is convulsed by the agonies of great nations.

2. Extreme pain
   • 1611, King James Version, Luke xxii. 44.

     Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly.

3. (biblical) The sufferings of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
4. Paroxysm of joy; keen emotion.

   With cries and agonies of wild delight. (Can we date this quote by Alexander Pope and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

5. The last struggle of life; death struggle.

Synonyms

• anguish, torment, throe, distress, pang, suffering
• See also Thesaurus:agony

Antonyms

• (extreme pain): ecstasy

Related terms

• agon
• agonal
• agonist, antagonist, protagonist
• agonistes
• agonize, agonise

Translations

violent contest or striving

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 苦恼 (zh) (kǔnǎo), 烦闷 (zh) (fánmèn)

• Dutch: doodsangst (nl) f, doodsstrijd (nl) m, agonie (nl) f
• Finnish: kamppailu (fi), taistelu (fi), taistelu (fi)
• French: agonie (fr) f
• German: Qual (de) f, Todeskampf (de) m
• Icelandic: kvöl (is) n, þjáning (is) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Interlingue:
• Italian: agonia (it) f
• Portuguese: agonia (pt) f
• Romanian: agonie (ro) f
• Russian: аго́ния (ru) f (agónija)
• Spanish: agonía (es) f
• Swedish: kval (sv)
• Volapük: letod

extreme pain of mind or body

• Bulgarian: мъки (bg) (mǎki), гърчене (bg) (gǎrčene), агония (bg) (agonija)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 极大的痛苦

• Dutch: ondraaglijke pijn
• Esperanto: angoro (eo), dolorego
• Finnish: tuska (fi)
• French: agonie (fr) f, angoisse (fr) f
• German: Agonie (de) f, Qual (de) f, Pein (de) f
• Greek: οδύνη (el) f (odýni), μαρτύριο (el) n (martýrio)
• Icelandic: kvöl (is) n, þjáning (is) f
• Interlingue:
• Italian: dolore (it) f (pain), angoscia (it) f (of mind)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani:

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Manx: aaghaer m, angaaish m, ard-phian m
• Maori: mamae inati
• Mirandese: agonie f
• Polish: agonia (pl) f
• Portuguese: agonia (pt) f
• Romanian: agonie (ro) f, suferință (ro) f
• Russian: страда́ние (ru) n (stradánije)
• Spanish: agonía (es) f, angustia (es) f
• Swahili: dhiki (sw)
• Swedish: vånda (sv) c
• Turkish: acı (tr), ızdırap (tr), kıvranma (tr)
• Volapük: letod

paroxysm of joy

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: （感情的） 迸发

• Finnish: huuma (fi)
• German: Freudenausbruch m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: parossismo (it) m
• Russian: вы́плеск эмо́ций m (výplesk emócij) (colloquial)
• Turkish: kıvranma (tr)

last struggle of life

• Bulgarian: агония (bg) (agonija)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 临死的挣扎

• Dutch: doodsstrijd (nl) m, agonie (nl) f
• Finnish: kuolinkamppailu (fi), agonia (fi)
• French: agonie (fr) f
• Georgian: აგონია (agonia)
• German: Agonie (de) f, Todeskampf (de) m
• Greek: επιθανάτια αγωνία f (epithanátia agonía)
• Italian: agonia (it) f
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Kazakh: жанталас (jantalas)
• Ngazidja Comorian: kongoo
• Polish: agonia (pl) f
• Portuguese: agonia (pt) f
• Romanian: agonie (ro) f
• Russian: аго́ния (ru) f (agónija)
• Spanish: agonía (es) f
• Swedish: dödskamp c
• Turkish: kıvranma (tr), can çekişme

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} బాధ (te) (bādha)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}