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agony aunt

(informal, British, Ireland) Someone commonly consulted for advice about personal problems.

ˈæɡəni ˈæntCurrent178 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🇬🇧 British & Irish slang
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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(informal, British, Ireland) Someone commonly consulted for advice about personal problems.

Pandora has just left my bedroom. I am just about devastated with frustration. I can't go on like this. I have written to Aunt Clara, the Agony Aunt.
Heard in the wild
  • “Dear Agony Aunt. I feel unloved. Although my hosts know to expect me at any time, they're horrified when I arrive. Any advice? Yours, Death. #vss365 #vss #dear”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(informal, British, Ireland) A writer of an advice column in a newspaper or other periodical.

You should write in to the agony aunt; she'll sort it out for you.
For parents

"agony aunt" means: A writer of an advice column in a newspaper or other periodical.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"agony aunt" means: A writer of an advice column in a newspaper or other periodical.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in

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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang

UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.

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