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Taka Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

in pain/in agony

(1) The victims died in pain/in agony.
(2) The victims were killed in pain/in agony.

Do they both sound equally natural? If not, why not?
  

Top answer

Agony is a bit more general, it means distress, anguish (which indicate mostly mental sufferance) also: ----- ag·o·ny Function: noun Inflected Form(s): -es Etymology: Middle English agonie, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French agonie, from Late Latin agonia, from Greek ag nia contest, struggle, anguish, from ag n gathering, assembly at games, contest for a prize, from agein to lead, celebrate -- more at AGENT 1 a : intense pain of mind or spirit : extreme distress : ANGUISH <the agony of being found wanting and exposed to the disapproval of others -- Margaret Mead> b often capitalized : the sufferings of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane <and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly -- Lk 22:44 (Authorized Version)> 2 a : intense pain of body : extreme torment : TORTURE <left arm twisted upward behind him ... Macaulay> 4 : a strong sudden and often uncontrollable display (as of joy or delight) : OUTBURST <my cousin ... in an agony of mirth -- Edith Wharton> synonym see DISTRESS -----------

— Marius Hancu

  • Agony is a bit more general, it means distress, anguish (which indicate mostly mental sufferance) also: ----- ag·o·ny Function: noun Inflected Form(s): -es Etymology: Middle English agonie, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French agonie, from Late Latin agonia, from Greek ag nia contest, struggle, anguish, from ag n gathering, assembly at games, contest for a prize, from agein to lead, celebrate -- more at AGENT 1 a : intense pain of mind or spirit : extreme distress : ANGUISH <the agony of being found wanting and exposed to the disapproval of others -- Margaret Mead> b often capitalized : the sufferings of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane <and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly -- Lk 22:44 (Authorized Version)> 2 a : intense pain of body : extreme torment : TORTURE <left arm twisted upward behind him ...
  • Macaulay> 4 : a strong sudden and often uncontrollable display (as of joy or delight) : OUTBURST <my cousin ...
  • in an agony of mirth -- Edith Wharton> synonym see DISTRESS -----------
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9 Answers
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Agony is a bit more general, it means distress, anguish (which indicate mostly mental sufferance) also:
-----
ag·o·ny

Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): -es

 Etymology: Middle English agonie, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French agonie, from Late Latin agonia, from Greek ag
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Well, my question is, is it possible to use 'in pain' or 'in agony' not only for 'X died' but also for 'X was killed'?

I don't know why, but to me 'X was killed in pain/in agony' sounds a bit strange...
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I don't think they work with "kill"
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Searches at New York Times:
no results with "killed in pain," but:

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I think pain and agony are related to what the dying person feels by himself, but kill is more related to what is done to him/her by others, thus the reason for the above.
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I think the crux may be whose status the phrase "in pain/in agony" describes, the subject's or the the verb's executor's.
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(1) The victims died in pain/in agony.

The death was very painful

(2) The victims were killed in pain/in agony.

Only possible: They were killed while they were in pain, in agony for other reasons not because of killing
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Good observation at 2), Aperisic.

For one thing, one usually assumes that dying is, in general, a longer process than being killed, which is instantaneous in many (but not all) circumstances.

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Marius HancuI think pain and agony are related to what the dying person feels by himself, but kill is more related to what is done to him/her by others, thus the reason for the above.
I completely agree.

Also, "agony" is a lot more painful than "pain."

When s
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