Anguish, n.
Etymology: [OE. anguishe, anguise, angoise, F. angoisse, fr. L. angustia narrowness, difficulty, distress, fr. angustus narrow, difficult, fr. angere to press together. See Anger.]
Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress. But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. Ex. vi. 9. Anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child. Jer. iv. 31.
Note: Rarely used in the plural: - Ye miserable people, you must go to God in anguishes, and make your prayer to him. Latimer.
Syn. -- Agony; pang; torture; torment. See Agony.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Anguish, v. t.
To distress with extreme pain or grief. [R.] Temple.
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for anguish; he lists it under anxiety, pain.
Where he writes about it:
Anxiety is, according to its derivation, a choking disquiet, akin to anguish; anxiety is mental; anguish may be mental or physical; anguish is in regard to the known, anxiety in regard to the unknown; anguish is because of what has happened, anxiety because of what may happen. — from anxiety
Agony and anguish express the utmost pain or suffering of body or mind. — from pain
Agony of body is that with which the system struggles; anguish that by which it is crushed. — from pain