pang

noun

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\ ˈpaŋ

Definition of pang

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

pang

verb

panged; panging; pangs

Definition of pang (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to cause to have pangs : torment

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pang

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Synonyms for pang

Synonyms: Noun

Examples of pang in a Sentence

Noun those hunger pangs that strike you in the middle of the afternoon

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Amid the celebration, Edmonds felt a pang of heartache. — Lindsay Schnell, USA TODAY, "NCAA put working moms in a pinch, making coaches' kids count against travel party restrictions to women's NCAA Tournament," 24 Mar. 2021 And sometimes those two funks blended together into an overpowering pang of life and death in which Dorothy experienced the smallness of her being knit into the large, incomprehensible whole of everything else. — Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, "The Depressive Realism of “The Life of the Mind”," 25 Feb. 2021 The pang lessened in late summer, when, in addition to surprising levels of humidity, Brooklyn, revealed a tropical surprise: Carnival in the form of the West Indian Day Parade, also known as the Labor Day Parade. — Victoria Brown, Harper's BAZAAR, "I've Played Mas Across the Caribbean Diaspora. This Year Is Different.," 19 Feb. 2021 Love’s death is another pang for a neighborhood where shops and restaurants are already reeling from the shutdown caused by the novel coronavirus. — Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, "Goodbye, ‘Mr. Love’: A beloved barber’s final bow," 6 Sep. 2020 But now Mermelstein’s book, with its small, private exchanges, caught in extreme proximity, has brought back, with a pang, a time before this one. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "The Photographer Peeking at Your Phone," 3 Sep. 2020 On a recent visit to Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, David Dausey felt that familiar pang of parental duty: The father of two should snap a family photo and preserve this special moment for posterity. — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, "Should asking a stranger to take your photo go the way of the daguerreotype?," 3 Aug. 2020 My heart pangs at the thought of Thanksgiving without nuoc cham roasted carrots. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, "There Are Millions of Ways to Use Fish Sauce, Which is Great Because It Never Goes Bad," 25 Mar. 2020 Yet the country’s belated pangs of conscience have not induced any inclination to reapportion the spoils. — Andrew J. Bacevich, Harper's Magazine, "The Old Normal," 27 Apr. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: 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, "The week in local albums: Shady Elders, Otis Taylor and Gasoline Lollipops," 16 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pang.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.