agony English · revision 906

11 Oct 2026, 02:07 by bogdan “New entry from the dictionary sources (AHD, Barnhart, Etymonline, MW, OED, RHWU, Wiktionary)” current version
Initial text

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+ ==Pronunciation==
+ * IPA: /ˈæɡ.ə.ni/^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Etymology==
+ It is [[inh|enm|agonie]], [[bor|fro|agonie]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|la-lat|agōnia]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[der|grc|ἀγωνία|tr=agōnía|t=struggle for victory; anguish]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''agṓn'' “assembly, contest”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) from ''ágein'' “to lead, drive”.^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)
+ 
+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==
+ The mental anguish of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (1382),^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and anguish of mind generally (c. 1386).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Semantic evolution==
+ In Greek the word passed from a struggle for victory in the games to any struggle and then to mental struggle or anguish.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) In English the sense of the death struggle dates from 1549,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) and of extreme bodily suffering from about 1600.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) The sense “an intense outburst of emotion”, as in ''an agony of joy'', is from the early 18th century.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU) The ''agony column'' of a newspaper, with personal advertisements, is recorded from 1880,^(Etymonline) and the British ''agony aunt'' answers readers' letters about personal problems.^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Timeline==
+ * 1382 – Christ's agony in Gethsemane.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)
+ * c. 1386 – anguish of mind.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1549 – the death struggle.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)
+ * 1607 – extreme bodily suffering.^(OED 1989)
+ * before 1725 – a paroxysm of pleasure.^(OED 1989)
+ * 1880 – ''agony column''.^(Etymonline)
+ 
+ ==Modern meaning==
+ ===Noun===
+ # Intense physical or mental suffering; [[anguish]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # The struggle that precedes death.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A sudden, intense display of emotion, as in ''an agony of suspense''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # A violent struggle or contest.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ # ''(often capitalized)'' The sufferings of Christ in the Garden of [[Gethsemane]].^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)
+ 
+ ==Related words==
+ * [[agon]]
+ * [[agonal]]
+ * [[agonist]]
+ * [[antagonist]]
+ * [[protagonist]]
+ * [[agonize]]
+ * [[agonise]]
+ 
+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}