angst

American  

[ahngkst, angst] / ɑŋkst, æŋst /

noun

1. a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.

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angst British  

/ æŋst, aŋst /

noun

1. an acute but nonspecific sense of anxiety or remorse

2. (in Existentialist philosophy) the dread caused by man's awareness that his future is not determined but must be freely chosen

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angst Cultural  

1. A kind of fear or anxiety; Angst is German for “fear.” It is usually applied to a deep and essentially philosophical anxiety about the world in general or personal freedom. (See existentialism.)

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Other Word Forms

• angsty adjective

Etymology

Origin of angst

First recorded in 1840–50; from German Angst “fear, anxiety,” Old High German angust (cognate with Middle Low German angest, Middle Dutch anxt ), from ang- (akin to eng “narrow, constricted”) + -st, abstract noun suffix

Example Sentences

Buffer funds have grown in popularity in the past several years amid investor angst about market volatility and the specter of a longer downturn.

From The Wall Street Journal

The pullback, a sign of caution among US businesses in the face of tariffs and consumer angst, comes as more people are looking for work in the cooling job market.

From BBC

Consumer angst about rising prices could open the door for tariffs to inch down further in coming months.

From Barron's

AI Anxiety: Nvidia’s quarterly results offered a temporary reprieve from investor angst about AI.

From The Wall Street Journal

The current bout of investor angst is no different: a less dovish Federal Reserve, concerns about private credit and wariness about rich valuations, have all been cited as catalysts.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• agony
• apprehension
• dread
• misgiving
• nervousness
• uneasiness