Cool MateAnguish vs Distress vs He's in agony vs Suffering vs Torment
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Anguish
Distress
He's in agony
Suffering
Torment
| Anguish | Distress | He's in agony | Suffering | Torment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈæŋɡwɪʃ//🇺🇸 //ˈæŋɡwɪʃ// | 🇬🇧 //dɪsˈtrɛs//🇺🇸 //dɪsˈtrɛs// | 🇬🇧 //ˈæɡəni//🇺🇸 //ˈæɡəni// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈsʌfərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsʌfərɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ˈtɔː.mɛnt//🇺🇸 //ˈtɔːr.mɛnt// |
| Meaning | Extreme sadness or pain. | Great worry or suffering. | He is in great pain. | The experience of pain or distress. | extreme pain or suffering |
| Example | She cried out in anguish after receiving the bad news. | The news caused her great distress. | After the accident, he's in agony and needs immediate help. | Death finally brought an end to her suffering. | The constant criticism was a source of great torment for her. |
| Register | Formal | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Beyond 10,000 (less common) | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | - | C1 | - | B2 | B1 |
| Part of speech | noun | noun | noun | ||
| Collocations | anguish of childbirth, anguish over loss, anguish in silence, feel anguish, express anguish | emotional distress, signs of distress, in distress, cause distress, face distress | in physical agony, in emotional agony, crying in agony, feel agony, express agony | enormous, great, immense, amount, degree, level, cause (somebody), inflict, increase, pain and suffering, enormous, great, immense, amount, degree, level, cause (somebody), inflict, increase, pain and suffering | mental torment, physical torment, torture and torment, live in torment, feel torment |
| Antonyms | joy, happiness, comfort | comfort, relief, ease | - | comfort, relief, well-being | comfort, relief, pleasure |
| Common mistakes | Confused with 'anguish' vs 'anguished' (the adjective form), Overused in casual contexts where 'pain' or 'sadness' might be more appropriate, Spelled incorrectly as 'anguise' | Confused with 'stress' - 'distress' is more intense and negative., Used incorrectly in the plural form - 'distress' is usually uncountable., Misinterpreted as physical pain - it primarily refers to emotional suffering. | Confused with 'ecstasy' which is an intense joy, not pain., Omitting 'in' and saying 'He's agony' instead., 'Agony' is often misused to describe minor discomfort. | Using 'suffering' as a verb instead of 'suffer'., Confusing 'suffering' with 'sufferings' (the latter is usually used in a different context). | Confusing 'torment' with 'torture' – 'torture' has a stronger, more physical connotation., Using 'torment' in sentences without the right context, especially in casual settings., Mispronouncing the word, leading to misunderstandings. |
| Usage notes | Use 'anguish' in serious or emotional contexts. It's often found in literature and formal writing, less in casual conversation. | Use 'distress' to describe emotional pain or anxiety. Avoid informal contexts; 'distress' fits well in psychological or medical discussions. | Used to express intense physical or emotional pain. Appropriate in both casual and serious contexts but avoid exaggeration in light-hearted conversations. | Used in both formal and informal contexts. It can describe physical or emotional pain. Be careful not to confuse it with 'suffer', which is the verb form. | Use 'torment' to describe severe emotional or physical suffering. It's neutral, suitable for both written and spoken contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Anguish vs Distress vs He's in agony vs Suffering vs Torment
What's the difference between Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment?
Anguish: Extreme sadness or pain. Distress: Great worry or suffering. He's in agony: He is in great pain. Suffering: The experience of pain or distress. Torment: extreme pain or suffering
Which is more formal: Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment?
Anguish is the most formal of these.
Which is more common: Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment?
Suffering is the most common in everyday English.
Which is more advanced: Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment?
Distress is the highest level, at C1, on the CEFR scale.
Can you show an example of each?
Anguish: She cried out in anguish after receiving the bad news. Distress: The news caused her great distress. He's in agony: After the accident, he's in agony and needs immediate help. Suffering: Death finally brought an end to her suffering. Torment: The constant criticism was a source of great torment for her.
Can I use Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment interchangeably?
Not always. Anguish, Distress, He's in agony, Suffering, and Torment are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.