different between heartache vs agony

English

Alternative forms

• heart-ache

Etymology

From Middle English heorteece, heorte-ece, from Old English heorte?e, equivalent to heart +? ache.

Pronunciation

Noun

heartache (countable and uncountable, plural heartaches)

1. Very sincere and difficult emotional problems or stress

Pronunciation

Translations

English

Etymology

14th century, via Old French [Term?] and Latin [Term?]; from Ancient Greek ?????? (ag?nía, “emulation, competition, struggle”), from ???? (ag?n, “contest”). Specifically of the struggle that precedes death (mortal agony) from the 1540s.

The sense of "extreme pain" from c. 1600.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?æ.??.ni?/

Noun

agony (countable and uncountable, plural agonies)

1. Extreme pain.
2. (biblical) The sufferings of Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
3. Violent contest or striving.
   • 1849, Thomas Macaulay, The History of England from the Accession of James II, Chapter 10

     The world is convulsed by the agonies of great nations.

4. Paroxysm of joy; keen emotion.
5. The last struggle of life; death struggle.

Synonyms

• anguish, torment, throe, distress, pang, suffering
• See also Thesaurus:agony

Antonyms

• (extreme pain): ecstasy

Related terms

• agon
• agonal
• agonist, antagonist, protagonist
• agonistes
• agonize, agonise

Translations

Anagrams

• Goyan