pang
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pang
First recorded in 1495–1505; origin uncertain
Explanation
A pang is a sharp jab or an intense hurt that comes on suddenly. If you've felt an all-of-a-sudden, deep sadness that seems to hit you even in the back of the eyes, you've probably had a pang of emotion over a loss or a tragic story. You can feel a physical pain or pang right when you get hurt, or you might suffer a pang of guilt that keeps popping up if you don't own up to something bad. Pang sounds close to pain, and it is pain, but it has a sharper edge — it's intense and comes on fast. A childbirth pain often is called a pang, because it's such a unique type of hurting. Having a pang of regret can be almost as sharp.
Vocabulary lists containing pang
Where the Red Fern Grows
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When he passed away, I got a pang of sadness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"In the initial weeks, I had this really strange pang of wanting to go back. Because it was something I understood," Gershkovich recalled.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
But something got to me, and I felt a pang of empathy for the humanoid being dragged off the stage by its human handler.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
And that’s perfectly OK for them, because they won’t suffer a pang of guilt because of their decision, and they won’t actually feel better about accepting the $150 if they give half of it away.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026
Ekon obeyed without hesitation, ignoring the small pang of pity in his chest.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
In a free society, there is no right to be shielded from information that might cause pangs of doubt.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026
The book cover trend, imbued with nostalgia for childhood, promises fiction that grapples with the pangs of adulthood in an age of precarity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
Even that comes though with pangs of guilt, wondering whether coming to terms with her childlessness, means she did not want it enough, or try hard enough.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
"We are suffering the pangs of growth because India knows how to handle poverty, not prosperity."
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
Instead it was a blizzard of rushed work, missing ingredients, unscheduled spills and dropped pots, unscheduled trips to the store, unscheduled pangs of doubt, and second-guessing.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
