Enanguish

/ɪnˈæŋɡwɪʃ/ verb

Definition

To cause someone to suffer anguish or extreme pain and distress; an archaic or rare verb form.

Etymology

From 'en-' (prefix meaning to put into a state) + 'anguish' (from Old French 'anguisse,' from Latin 'angustia' meaning narrowness or tightness). The concept of anguish as a squeezing pain comes from the literal Latin sense of being squeezed or confined.

Kelly Says

This word is so rare that you probably won't find it in modern dictionaries—it's a ghost word, created theoretically by combining 'en-' with 'anguish' but rarely used. It shows how English allows speakers to create new verbs following patterns even if nobody actually does.

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