agony column

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ag′ony col′umn, 

1. a section or column in a newspaper containing advertisements by individuals seeking missing relatives or lost pets or possessions, announcing the end of a marriage, etc.

• 1860–65

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

agony column noun

1. a magazine or newspaper feature in which advice is offered to readers who have sent in letters about their personal problems
2. a part of a newspaper containing advertisements for lost relatives, personal messages, etc