agonizing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For weeks after getting her phone, Elsie would call friends only to sit in agonizing silence, not knowing what to say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Miller’s 1968 play, written during the agonizing days of the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Wood had been agonizing over what to say to convince the board to spare his life.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

He faced an agonizing 20-minute wait on the 18th fairway as Jacob Bridgeman, in the preceding group, played a shot from the beach that cracked off a cliff and back into the ocean.

From Barron's • Feb. 15, 2026

It’s agonizing, the not knowing, the slowness with which everything is bound to move.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins