angst

angst

noun \ˈäŋ(k)st, ˈaŋ(k)st\

Definition of ANGST

: a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity <teenage angst>

Examples of ANGST

1. a film about teenage angst
2. The winner of France's prestigious Prix de Flore, “Report on Myself” is a study in raw angst and mortifying self-disclosure: a portrait of the artist as a lover who just can't catch a break. —Caroline Weber, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 2009
3. Adapting Alicia Erian's novel, writer-director Alan Ball showcases both the knack for sketching out thorny relationships that distinguished Six Feet Under and the impulse for … suburban angst that befouled his script for American Beauty. —Troy Patterson, Spin, September 2008
4. The retail category, of course, has been a source of angst among newspapers for some time. Retail ad volume in papers has declined for much of the past 15 years, according to Merrill Lynch research. —Lucia Moses et al., Editor & Publisher, 8 Oct. 2001
5. One way to increase these health benefits is to learn how to write more fluidly and with less angst and frustration. When you're engaged with what you're doing, the rest of the world recedes. —Susan H. Perry, Psychology Today, November/December 2001

Origin of ANGST

Dan & German; Dan, from German

First Known Use: circa 1942