1. (n.) Violent contest or striving.
2. (n.) Pain so extreme as to cause writhing or contortions of the body, similar to those made in the athletic contests in Greece; and hence, extreme pain of mind or body; anguish; paroxysm of grief; specifically, the sufferings of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
3. (n.) Paroxysm of joy; keen emotion.
4. (n.) The last struggle of life; death struggle.
Thesaurus Entries
aching heart, affliction, agonizingness, agony of mind, anguish, atrocious pain, bale, bitterness, bleeding heart, broken heart, care, carking care, crucifixion, crushing, death agonies, death groan, death rattle, death struggle, death throes, deathbed, deathwatch, depression, depth of misery, desolateness, desolation, despair, distress, dolor, dying breath, excruciatingness, excruciation, extremity, final extremity, grief, heartache, heartbreak, heartfelt grief, heartgrief, heartsickness, heavy heart, infelicity, lamentation, languishment, last agony, last breath, last gasp, martyrdom, martyrization, melancholia, melancholy, misery, moribundity, pain, pangs, passion, pining, prostration, rack, sadness, sorrow, sorrowing, suffering, suicidal despair, throes, throes of death, torment, tormentingness, torture, torturousness, trouble, woe, wretchedness
