anguished

IPA/ˈæŋɡwɪʃt/
KK[ˈæŋɡwɪʃt]IPA/ˈæŋɡwɪʃt/

anguished — adjective

  • anguishedpositive
  • more anguishedcomparative
  • most anguishedsuperlative

1. Suffering from or showing very intense emotional pain, often caused by loss, fea

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

Suffering from or showing very intense emotional pain, often caused by loss, fear, or hopelessness.

Example

Mei-Lin let out an anguished cry when she heard the news about her grandmother.

collocation: anguished cry

Diego looked anguished as he read the final letter from his doctor.

predicative use: look + anguished

Common collocations
  • anguished cry
  • anguished silence
  • anguished expression
  • anguished face
  • anguished look
  • anguished letter
  • anguished plea
Synonyms
  • agonized

    nearly identical meaning; more common in descriptions of physical pain

  • tormented

    suggests ongoing or repeated suffering, often with a cause

  • distraught

    more about extreme worry or upset, less about deep emotional pain

  • wretched

    focuses on unhappiness caused by difficult circumstances

Antonyms
  • joyful

    opposite emotional state — happiness rather than pain

  • peaceful

    absence of emotional turmoil

Grammar Patterns

anguished + noun

be/look/sound + anguished

Usage Note

Commonly used in both attributive position (before the noun) and predicative position (after a linking verb like be, look, or sound). Often appears in formal or literary descriptions of grief, fear, or regret.

Common Mistakes

She felt anguished before her exam.
She felt anxious before her exam.
Anguish involves deep emotional pain caused by tragedy or loss, not everyday worry or nervousness.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe negative emotional states, but they differ in intensity and focus. Anguished emphasizes deep, lingering emotional pain, often from loss or hopelessness. Agonized is nearly interchangeable but leans toward physical or mental struggle. Tormented suggests ongoing suffering caused by an external force or memory. Distraught is more about frantic worry or upset than deep pain; a parent waiting for news about a missing child is distraught, not anguished. Wretched focuses on unhappiness from dire circumstances, like poverty or illness. For example, a person might be wretched after losing their home, but anguished after losing a loved one.

anguished ↗agonized ↗tormented ↗distraught ↗wretched ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • anguished cry
  • anguished look
  • anguished face
  • anguished silence
  • anguished expression

Adverbs

  • deeply anguished
  • visibly anguished

Phrases

  • anguished plea for help
  • anguished letter of apology

Prepositions

  • anguished over
  • anguished by

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the noun 'anguish', which traces back through Old French 'anguisse' to Latin 'angustia' meaning 'tightness' or 'narrowness'. The idea is that emotional pain feels like being squeezed or trapped. The '-ed' suffix turns the noun into an adjective describing someone experiencing that state.