prolong the agony

prolong the agony

To extend a period of stress, pressure, difficulty, or discomfort beyond what is necessary. Why don't you just finish the essay tonight, rather than prolong the agony for the whole weekend? Come on, don't prolong the agony—just tell me if I was accepted or not!
See also: agony
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

prolong the agony

If someone or something prolongs the agony, they make an unpleasant situation last longer than it needs to. The job just wasn't working out so, rather than prolong the agony, I felt it was better to go.
See also: agony
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

prolong the agony

cause a difficult or unpleasant situation to last longer than necessary.
See also: agony
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

proˌlong the ˈagony

make an unpleasant situation last longer than is necessary: Don’t prolong the agony. Just say yes or no, and then I’ll know where I stand. OPPOSITE: put somebody/something out of their/its misery
See also: agony
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • be in a spot of bother
  • faint
  • a faint heart
  • the faint of heart
  • faint of heart
  • have got to (do something)
  • fail (someone) on (something)
  • fail on
  • failed
  • failing
References in periodicals archive
It's never easy to disappoint someone, but it's better to be clear now than let things rumble on as it's only going to prolong the agony for you both.
I will not prolong the agony [of being] in this office or anywhere [else].'
I will not prolong the agony in this office or anywhere," he added.
"I could see the Everton v Mackems game ending in a draw, just to prolong the agony. " Iain Woodrow ENTERTAINMENT: Disney On Ice is to bring its full Frozen show to Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena for the first time this autumn.
"More and more people think it is some kind of attempt to prolong the agony for Blair facing possible war crimes charges," he added.
It means permitting patients living in coma or suffering from an incurable disease to refuse essential artificial medical support system as he or she does not want to prolong the agony. It also brings to strong focus what the state can do on " fast unto death" protests.
Such regulations exist for valid reasons; but their rigid application may prolong the agony of a dying person.
"A bailout would not only prolong the agony and trigger rampant inflation, it would eliminate the pressures for long-overdue internal reforms, and by calling for increased taxes, would accelerate the exodus of business and middle-class residents from the city.
We all know why Mr Brown doesn't want a General Election, but why prolong the agony another 12 months, his Gover nment are a collection of walking corpses.
McLaren were stripped of all their constructors' points and fined $100 million this year for the spy saga and the February meeting had threatened to prolong the agony.
Yet the tendency has been to prolong the agony at every step along the way.
It served only to prolong the agony as one final row with Ziggy sent her packing once and for all.
Raising the education leaving age from 16 to 18 is fraught with difficulty and many disaffected pupils will feel the reforms merely "prolong the agony" of school, according to Geraldine Everett, chairman of the Professional Association of Teachers.
How much longer must Al Fayed prolong the agony for William and Harry, just so he can conduct a vendetta against Prince Philip and Prince Charles?
To get to the station many had to walk a long way in miserable conditions or take out cars on dangerous roads to find either no trains or pile into buses to prolong the agony.