agonize

/ˈæɡənaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈæɡənaɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈa-gə-ˌnīz/ (ame, mw)

agonize — 動詞

  • agonizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • agonizeshe / she / it
  • agonizedpast simple
  • agonizing-ing form

1. to keep turning a difficult choice or problem over in your mind until the worry

1.動詞不及物C1
釋義

反覆斟酌

為了做決定反覆苦想

to keep turning a difficult choice or problem over in your mind until the worry starts to feel painful.

例句

Noa agonized over the job offer for three sleepless nights.

Noa 為了那份工作邀約，連三個晚上都在反覆斟酌。

agonize over + noun phrase

Brandon agonized about whether to sell his father's old bike.

Brandon 一直反覆斟酌是否要賣掉父親那輛舊腳踏車。

agonize about whether-clause

同義詞
  • worry

    broader and less intense; it does not always focus on one hard decision

  • brood over

    suggests dark, private thinking that often lasts a long time

  • wrestle with

    emphasizes mental struggle, often with less emotional pain

  • deliberate

    more formal and less emotional; often used for careful discussion

反義詞
  • decide

    to reach a choice instead of remaining stuck in worry

  • settle on

    to choose one option after considering the alternatives

文法句型

agonize over a decision

agonize about whether to do something

agonize over what to say

用法筆記

This sense is usually followed by over or about, often with a decision, question, or choice. Distinguish from sense 2: here the pain comes from repeated worrying before a decision, not from physical suffering or grief itself.

常見錯誤

❌She agonized to choose the cheaper ticket.
✅She agonized over choosing the cheaper ticket.
💡agonize usually takes over/about, not a bare to-infinitive.

2. to be in extreme physical pain or deep emotional misery.

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

痛苦煎熬

承受劇烈身心痛苦

to be in extreme physical pain or deep emotional misery.

例句

Rania lay awake, agonizing in pain after the spoiled fish.

吃了壞掉的魚後，Rania 痛得整晚都在煎熬。

agonize in pain

After the funeral, Stefan agonized for weeks with grief.

葬禮過後，Stefan 因悲痛而煎熬了好幾個星期。

agonize with + emotion

同義詞
  • suffer

    more general and much more common in everyday English

  • anguish

    more formal and often focused on emotional pain

  • writhe

    focuses on visible physical pain and movement

反義詞
  • recover

    to get better after pain, illness, or distress

  • find relief

    to stop hurting or become easier to bear

文法句型

agonize in pain

agonize with grief

agonize through the night

用法筆記

Formal and stronger than ordinary suffer. The subject is the person or animal feeling the pain. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes actual suffering, not worry over a decision. Distinguish from sense 3: here the subject feels the pain instead of causing it.

常見錯誤

❌The bad news agonized her mother for weeks.
✅Her mother agonized over the bad news for weeks.
💡use the intransitive pattern when the subject is the person who suffers; the transitive pattern belongs to sense 3.

3. to make someone feel severe physical pain or emotional torment.

3.動詞及物C2
釋義

折磨

使人承受劇烈痛苦

to make someone feel severe physical pain or emotional torment.

例句

The infected tooth agonized Hiro every time he chewed on bread.

那顆發炎的牙每次咬到麵包都把 Hiro 折磨得受不了。

thing as subject: pain cause

Months without news from the missing hikers agonized the whole family.

失蹤登山客好幾個月沒有消息，把全家人都折磨壞了。

situation as subject

同義詞
  • torment

    the closest everyday verb for causing intense physical or emotional pain

  • torture

    stronger and often suggests deliberate cruelty

  • plague

    less intense; often used for problems that keep troubling someone

反義詞
  • comfort

    to make someone feel less pain or distress

  • soothe

    to calm pain, worry, or irritation

文法句型

something agonizes somebody

an illness agonizes somebody

a memory agonizes somebody

用法筆記

This sense is uncommon and formal. The subject is the thing or person causing the pain, such as an injury, memory, or cruel situation. Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 names the sufferer as subject, while this sense names the cause.