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

Yet in examining what at first look like gestures of Chinese geoeconomic supremacy, one detects pangs of worry.

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I’m about to say something sarcastic, but a pang of grief hits me in my core.

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Inwardly she felt a pang of relief, for in all the mayhem no one had noticed her mistake.

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It looked like a party invitation, Penelope thought with a pang.

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Penelope shook off a lonely pang and said, “You heard Mrs. Clarke, children. That is enough bird-watching for today. We are needed back at the house.”

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Related Words

• agony 
• anguish 
• discomfort 
• spasm