# agony

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/ · frequency rank #12,904

## Definitions
1. Extreme pain.
2. The sufferings of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (often capitalized).
3. Violent contest or striving.
4. Paroxysm of joy; keen emotion.
5. The last struggle of life; death struggle.

## Etymology
14th century, via Old French and Latin from Ancient Greek ἀγωνία (agōnía, “emulation, competition, struggle”), from ἀγών (agṓn, “contest”). Specifically of the struggle that precedes death (mortal agony) from the 1540s.
The sense of "extreme pain" from c. 1600.

## Easily confused with
- **any** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-any)
- **Avon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-avon)
- **anon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-anon)
- **Aron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-aron)
- **ahoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-ahoy)
- **axon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-axon)
- **Alon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-alon)
- **along** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-along)
- **among** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-among)
- **alone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-alone)
- **argon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-argon)
- **atone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-atone)
- **agora** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-agora)
- **Antony** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agony-vs-antony)
- **ago** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ago-vs-agony)
- **aeon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aeon-vs-agony)
- **agent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agent-vs-agony)
- **aging** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aging-vs-agony)
- **agency** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/agency-vs-agony)

## Common misspellings (7)
`aggony`, `agnoy`, `agonny`, `agonyy`, `agoyn`, `aogny`, `gaony`

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