late 14c., "full of anguish," past-participle adjective from anguish (v.). From c. 1800 as "expressing anguish."
Entries linking to anguished
anguish v.
mid-14c., angwisshen, intransitive and reflexive ("be troubled or distressed; feel agony") and transitive ("cause grief, distress,or torment"); from Old French angoissier (12c., Modern French angoisser), from angoisse "distress, anxiety, rage" (see anguish (n.)). Related: Anguished; anguishing.