pang

[pang]

noun

1. a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing.

   a pang of remorse; a pang of desire.

   Synonyms: stab, prick, throb, ache, twinge

2. a sudden, brief, sharp pain or physical sensation; spasm.

   hunger pangs.

   Synonyms: stab, prick, throb, ache, twinge

pang

/ pæŋ /

noun

1. a sudden brief sharp feeling, as of loneliness, physical pain, or hunger

Word History and Origins

Origin of pang¹

First recorded in 1495–1505; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of pang¹

C16: variant of earlier prange, of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

At holidays or graduations or milestone birthdays, we’d joke about phantom hunger pangs, gesturing to the empty spot where the foil tray should’ve been.

From Salon

When she brought up her daughter, she felt a sudden pang and her voice broke.

From BBC

“Of course, I don’t believe that. I have pangs of longing for my home state every day, especially fruits!”

From Los Angeles Times

We watched her take the medication, then experience what followed: painful cramping, pangs of guilt, waves of relief and the realization she now bore a new, lifelong emotional scar that wasn’t caused by her mother.

From Los Angeles Times

He wasn’t the first person to experience the cold pang of isolation or to fall in love with somebody so deeply that the only thing to do is regret it.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• agony 
• anguish 
• discomfort 
• spasm