Cool MateHe's in agony vs Suffering
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's in agony
Top 3,000 (common)
Suffering
Top 1,000 (very common)B2noun
Most common: Suffering
| He's in agony | Suffering | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ˈæɡəni//🇺🇸 //ˈæɡəni// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈsʌfərɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsʌfərɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | He is in great pain. | The experience of pain or distress. |
| Example | After the accident, he's in agony and needs immediate help. | Death finally brought an end to her suffering. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | B2 |
| Part of speech | noun | |
| Collocations | 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 |
| Antonyms | - | comfort, relief, 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. | Using 'suffering' as a verb instead of 'suffer'., Confusing 'suffering' with 'sufferings' (the latter is usually used in a different context). |
| 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. It can describe physical or emotional pain. Be careful not to confuse it with 'suffer', which is the verb form. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's in agony vs Suffering
What's the difference between He's in agony and Suffering?
He's in agony: He is in great pain. Suffering: The experience of pain or distress.
Which is more common: He's in agony and Suffering?
Suffering 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. Suffering: Death finally brought an end to her suffering.
Can I use He's in agony and Suffering interchangeably?
Not always. He's in agony and Suffering 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.