Definition of "agonize" []

• To suffer extreme pain or great anguish. (verb-intransitive)
• To make a great effort; struggle. (verb-intransitive)
• To cause great pain or anguish to. See Synonyms at afflict. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Spirit "agonize" in prayer as the Son did in Gethsemane?"
• "People agonize over buying washing machines and homes, but all spending is important, Mr. Edelman says."
• "To watch him agonize over some of the tough positions he took was to appreciate the complexity of a man judged harshly and often simplistically."