1
: a brief piercing spasm of pain
the pangs of childbirth
2
: a sharp attack of mental anguish
pangs of remorse
a pang of guilt
a pang of disappointment
Synonyms
Examples of pang in a Sentence
Noun
those hunger pangs that strike you in the middle of the afternoon
Recent Examples on the Web
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
While oats definitely have more of the stuff than some other grains—sorry, rice—folks may find that its five grams per one half cup serving isn’t enough on its own to meet that goal and ward off hunger pangs.
—Audrey Bruno, SELF, 1 Apr. 2024
That beats a game that would start in the midafternoon, when Mr. Khalifa’s hunger pangs and unquenchable thirst would be at their worst.
—Dave Skretta, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
There's a familiar pang of regret that comes for many NCAA basketball tournament fans every March.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024
Recently, as the lights of Toronto met me on a return flight home, I was hit with pangs of homesickness for the city of my youth.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
The WhatsApp group for parents from Sydney was abuzz with pangs of despair and grief.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Hypnotized by the image, Romeo felt a pang of regret.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
My stomach felt empty, every growling pang a sign that my body was mourning the loss of carrying another human, and longed to be filled again.
—Hetty Lui McKinnon, Bon Appétit, 19 Feb. 2024
Dylan Owens, The Know, 16 Feb. 2017
Noun
Caffeine is an effective appetite suppressant that will keep hunger pangs at bay.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
While oats definitely have more of the stuff than some other grains—sorry, rice—folks may find that its five grams per one half cup serving isn’t enough on its own to meet that goal and ward off hunger pangs.
—Audrey Bruno, SELF, 1 Apr. 2024
That beats a game that would start in the midafternoon, when Mr. Khalifa’s hunger pangs and unquenchable thirst would be at their worst.
—Dave Skretta, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Mar. 2024
There's a familiar pang of regret that comes for many NCAA basketball tournament fans every March.
—Becky Sullivan, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024
Recently, as the lights of Toronto met me on a return flight home, I was hit with pangs of homesickness for the city of my youth.
—Heather Greenwood Davis, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
The WhatsApp group for parents from Sydney was abuzz with pangs of despair and grief.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Hypnotized by the image, Romeo felt a pang of regret.
—Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024
My stomach felt empty, every growling pang a sign that my body was mourning the loss of carrying another human, and longed to be filled again.
—Hetty Lui McKinnon, Bon Appétit, 19 Feb. 2024
Verb
Its sonic trappings are in vogue, but thanks in large part to front-woman Fox Rodemich’s memorable voice, which pangs around the record like a cave bellow, there’s an outlying classic quality to these songs.
—Dylan Owens, The Know, 16 Feb. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pang.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pang
Cite this Entry
“Pang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pang. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pang
noun
: a brief piercing spasm of pain see birth pang, hunger pangs
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