French Conversation · Level 142
30 words
French word
agoniser
Pronunciation
IPA/agonize/
Meaning
- verbbe dying
Example
Le chat agonise près de la route.
The cat is dying near the road.
More examples
Après l'accident, la victime agonise de douleur.
After the accident, the victim is dying in pain.
Core concept
A living creature near death, visibly exhausted and suffering as its strength fades.
Common phrases
agoniser de douleur
be dying in pain
Similar words
mourir: Stop being alive as life functions come to an end.
décéder: Die, expressed in polite or official language.
Definition in French
Être en train de mourir, souvent accompagné d'une souffrance prolongée et visible.
Word origin
The verb agoniser is a learned borrowing related to Greek agōn, a contest or struggle, through the Medieval Latin form agonizare.
Usage tips
- Unlike English agonize, which often means suffer emotionally or physically, French agoniser primarily means to be dying or in the death throes.