What does "pang" mean?
A paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; a feeling of sudden and transitory agony; a throe.
Pang
/pæŋ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; a feeling of sudden and transitory agony; a throe.
- Grammar: pang is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: twinge, stab, sting, access.
- Useful contrasts: calm, comfort, composure.
- Usage evidence: For the first time in my life, I felt a pang of conscience, but there was no other way out.
How to use "pang"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "pang" 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 "pang" 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 "pang" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "pang" 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 "pang" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "twinge" 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 "pang", 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 A paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; a feeling of sudden and transitory agony; a throe. in-plural, often
"War[wick]. See how the pangs of death do make him grin. / Sal[isbury]. Diſturbe him not, let him paſſe peaceably."
- 2 a sudden sharp feeling wordnet
- 3 A sudden sharp feeling of an emotional or mental nature, as of joy or sorrow. in-plural, often
"He had not gone far, when coming on towards him he beheld the portly gentleman, who had walked into his counting-house the day before, and said, "Scrooge and Marley's, I believe?" It sent a pang across his heart to think how this old gentleman would look upon him when they met; but he knew what path lay straight before him, and he took it."
- 4 a sharp spasm of pain wordnet
- 5 a mental pain or distress wordnet
Verb
- 1 To cause to have great pain or suffering; to torment, to torture. transitive
"Yet if that quarrell, Fortune, to diuorce / It from the bearer, 'tis a ſufferance, panging / As ſoule and bodies ſeuering."
- 2 simple past of ping form-of, nonstandard, past
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Chinese.
- 2 A minor river in Berkshire, England, which flows into the Thames at Pangbourne.
- 3 A surname from Khmer.
Example
"For the first time in my life, I felt a pang of conscience, but there was no other way out."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "pang"?
Common synonyms include: twinge, stab, sting, access, ache, ache.
How do you use "pang" in a sentence?
For the first time in my life, I felt a pang of conscience, but there was no other way out.
How do you pronounce "pang"?
Pronounced /pæŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The origin of the noun is uncertain; it is possibly derived from Middle English *pange, perhaps an altered form of prange, prōnge (“affliction, agony, pain; pointed instrument”) as in prongys of deth (“pangs of death, death throes”), from Anglo-Latin pronga, of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with Middle Dutch prange, pranghe (“instrument for pinching”) (modern Dutch prang (“horse restraint; fetter, neck iron”)), Middle Low German prange (“pole, stake; (possibly) kind of pillory or stocks”), Old English pyngan (“to prick”). The word may thus be related to prong. The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 2
From: * various Chinese surnames, including Mandarin 龐 /庞 (páng), Cantonese 彭 (paang⁴) and Hokkien 馮 /冯 (pâng) * Khmer បាង (baang).
Etymology 3
The name of the river is a back-formation from Pangbourne.