Sturm und Drang

American  

[shtoorm oont drahng] / ˌʃtʊərm ʊnt ˈdrɑŋ /

noun

1. a style or movement of German literature of the latter half of the 18th century: characterized chiefly by impetuosity of manner, exaltation of individual sensibility and intuitive perception, opposition to established forms of society and thought, and extreme nationalism.

2. tumult; turmoil; upheaval.

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Sturm und Drang British  

/ ˈʃtʊrm ʊnt ˈdraŋ /

noun

1. a German literary movement of the latter half of the 18th century, characterized by a reaction against rationalism

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Etymology

Origin of Sturm und Drang

< German: literally, storm and stress

Example Sentences

But beneath all the Sturm und Drang, the AI trade had already started to reconfigure itself.

From Barron's • Nov. 28, 2025

So has all the Sturm und Drang been a big hullaballoo over nothing?

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2023

After all that Sturm und Drang, “Don’t Worry Darling” opened in first place at the domestic box office with $19.2 million — a solid showing, particularly given the less-than-glowing reviews.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2022

The Sturm und Drang around the revamped ceremony reflected the broader discomfort that has been gripping Hollywood and its artisans: Do we still matter?

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2022

For Sturm und Drang, there’s not much to beat the peroration of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 Fourth of July address.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith