# agonize

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈæɡ.ɪ.naɪz/ · frequency rank #80,158

## Definitions
1. To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.
2. To struggle; to wrestle; to strive desperately, whether mentally or physically.
3. To cause agony or anguish in someone.
4. To act as an agonist upon; to combine with a receptor on a cell to produce a physiological reaction.

## Etymology
From French agoniser, from Late Latin agonizare, from Ancient Greek ἀγωνίζομαι (agōnízomai, “to fight, contend”). See agony.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/agonize