Cool MateHe's in agony vs Pain
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's in agony
Top 3,000 (common)
Pain
Top 1,000 (very common)A2noun
Most common: Pain
| He's in agony | Pain | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈæɡəni//🇺🇸 //ˈæɡəni// | 🇬🇧 /["/peɪn/"]/🇺🇸 /["/peɪn/"]/ |
| Meaning | He is in great pain. | unpleasant feeling or discomfort in the body |
| Example | After the accident, he's in agony and needs immediate help. | She felt a sharp pain in her knee after the fall. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A2 |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | in physical agony, in emotional agony, crying in agony, feel agony, express agony | acute, agonizing, awful, spasm, stab, be in, be racked with, experience, begin, come, occur, control, management, relief, pain in, aches and pains, a cry of pain, a threshold for pain, great, immense, intense, cause (somebody), give somebody, inflict, the pain etched on somebody’s face |
| Antonyms | - | pleasure, comfort, well-being |
| Common mistakes | 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. | Confused with 'gain', often misspoke as 'pain' when meaning something positive., Using inappropriately in casual contexts, like joking about serious conditions., Mixing up with 'ache', which denotes a less intense sensation. |
| Usage notes | 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. Avoid using it lightly; can be serious when discussing medical issues. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's in agony vs Pain
What's the difference between He's in agony and Pain?
He's in agony: He is in great pain. Pain: unpleasant feeling or discomfort in the body
Which is more common: He's in agony and Pain?
Pain is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's in agony: After the accident, he's in agony and needs immediate help. Pain: She felt a sharp pain in her knee after the fall.
Can I use He's in agony and Pain interchangeably?
Not always. He's in agony and Pain 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.