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

Now a stunningly large increase in the cost of imported goods has added to the angst.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now a stunningly large increase in the cost of imported goods has added to the angst.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its lower price also reflects the higher shipping costs required to get it to Asian buyers, as well as angst that the U.S. might restrict crude exports to husband energy resources at home.

From The Wall Street Journal

Leadership angst remains, and could come roaring back in May.

From BBC

“Genius and Anxiety,” Norman Lebrecht’s shrewd title for his 2019 study of angst and Jewish achievement, could just as easily apply to a study of Goldman.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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