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Agonize vs Grieve - What's the difference?

agonize | grieve |

As a verb agonize

is to writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.

As an adjective grieve is

.

agonize

English

Alternative forms

* agonise

Verb

(agoniz)
  • To writhe with agony; to suffer violent anguish.
  • * (Alexander Pope):
  • To smart and agonize at every pore.
  • To struggle; to wrestle; to strive desperately.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet), chapter 3:
  • So I took a last stare round, agonizing to see if there was any way of escape; but the stone walls and roof were solid enough to crush me, and the stack of casks too closely packed to hide more than a rat.

    grieve

    English

    Etymology 1

    From the conjugated forms of (etyl) .

    Verb

    (griev)
  • To cause sorrow or distress to.
  • * Bible, Eph. iv. 30
  • Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God.
  • * Cowper
  • The maidens grieved themselves at my concern.
  • To feel very sad about; to mourn; to sorrow for.
  • to grieve one's fate
  • To experience grief.
  • (archaic) To harm.
  • To submit or file a grievance.
  • * 2009 D'Amico, Rob , Editor, Texas Teacher , published by Texas AFT (affiliate of American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO); "Austin classified employees gain due process rights", April 2009, p14:
  • Even if the executive director rules against the employee on appeal, the employee can still grieve the termination to the superintendent followed by an appeal to the [...] Board of Trustees.
    Derived terms
    * grieved * griever * grievingly

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A governor of a town or province.
  • (chiefly, Scotland) A manager or steward, e.g. of a farm.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • Their children were horsewhipped by the grieve .
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    Anagrams

    * English ergative verbs ----