What does "angst" mean?
Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; anguish.
Angst
/æŋ(k)st/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; anguish.
- Grammar: angst is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: adolescent anxiety, agitation, alienation, all overs.
- Useful contrasts: assurance, calm, certainty.
- Usage evidence: Angst is the fear of our own incapacity for peace.
How to use "angst"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "angst" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "angst" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "angst" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "angst" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "angst" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "adolescent anxiety" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "angst", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; anguish. uncountable
"I've begun to regret that we'd ever met / Between the dimensions. / It gets such a strain to pretend that the change / Is anything but cheap. / With your infant pique and your angst pretensions / Sometimes you act like such a creep."
- 2 an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety; usually reserved for philosophical anxiety about the world or about personal freedom wordnet
- 3 A feeling of acute but vague anxiety or apprehension often accompanied by depression, especially philosophical anxiety. uncountable
- 4 Fiction focusing on characters experiencing strong emotions and conflicts with other characters. uncountable
"General: a story with a general theme. It is neither romance or angst but may incorporate elements of all other genres."
Verb
- 1 To suffer angst; to fret. informal, intransitive
"In the second scene, the camera switches to the father listening, angsting, dying inside, but saying nothing."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Angst is the fear of our own incapacity for peace."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "angst"?
Common synonyms include: adolescent anxiety, agitation, alienation, all overs, all-overs, angstfic.
How do you use "angst" in a sentence?
Angst is the fear of our own incapacity for peace.
How do you pronounce "angst"?
Pronounced /æŋ(k)st/.
Etymology
Borrowed from German Angst or Danish angst; attested since the 19th century in English translations of the works of Søren Kierkegaard. Initially capitalized (as in German and contemporaneous Danish), the term first began to be written with a lowercase "a" around 1940–44. The German and Danish terms both derive from Middle High German angest, from Old High German angust, from Proto-Germanic *angustiz; Dutch angst is cognate. Compare Swedish ångest.