agony extreme mental or physical suffering.
agony column originally (in the mid 19th century) the column of a newspaper containing special advertisements, particularly those for missing relatives or friends, and thus containing evidence of great distress. Later (the current meaning), it became a column in a newspaper or magazine offering advice on personal problems to readers who write in. An agony aunt is the female author of a newspaper column providing such advice.
Agony in the Garden the anguish of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, as in Luke 22:44; agony in this passage is used in Wyclif's translation.

ag·o·ny / ˈagənē/ • n. (pl. -nies) extreme physical or mental suffering: he crashed to the ground in agony. ∎  the final stages of a difficult or painful death: his last agony the death agony.

agony anguish of mind XIV; death struggle XV; extreme bodily suffering XVII. — (O)F. agonie or late L. agōnia — Gr. agōníā, f. agṓn contest, struggle; see -Y3.
So agonize XVI.