agony aunt
Definition
Noun: A person, typically a woman, who writes a newspaper or magazine column offering advice and sympathetic responses to readers who submit letters about their personal problems.
Usage
An "agony aunt" is a specific role in journalism. The term is used to refer to the columnist herself, not the column. It implies a tone of empathy and personal concern.
Examples
- Noun:
- She has been the newspaper's trusted agony aunt for over a decade.
- Many readers feel comfortable sharing their deepest secrets with their favorite agony aunt.
Advanced Usage
- The role is an institution in British and Commonwealth media. The male equivalent is sometimes called an "agony uncle," though the original term remains more common.
- The concept has expanded to include online advice columnists and podcast hosts who fulfill a similar function.
Variants and Related Words
- Agony column (n): The section of a publication featuring the advice and the readers' letters.
- I always read the agony column first.
- Advice columnist (n): A more formal and gender-neutral term for an agony aunt or uncle.
Synonyms
- Advice columnist
- Dear Abby (a specific, famous American agony aunt whose name became a generic term)
- Counselor (in a journalistic context)
Related Idioms/Phrases
- To play agony aunt: To informally give someone sympathetic advice about a personal problem.
- I'm not an expert, but I can play agony aunt if you need to talk.
Noun
-
a newspaper columnist who answers questions and offers advice on personal problems to people who write in
