pang

1 of 2

noun

ˈpaŋ 

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

2 of 2

verb

panged; panging; pangs

transitive verb

: to cause to have pangs : torment

Synonyms of pang

Noun

• ache
• tingle
• pain
• sting
• twinge

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

Every now and then, in the early hours of the morning, Kumar sits in the stillness to watch the fishermen return with their catch and feels a pang of longing. — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Agarwal is, like a lot of teenagers, feeling the pangs of a life less traveled, IRL. — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1502, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pang

• birth pang

Rhymes for pang

• bang
• chuang
• clang
• dang
• drang
• fang
• gang
• gangue
• hang
• hange
• kang
• langue

Kids Definition

pang

noun

ˈpaŋ

: a sudden sharp attack of pain or distress

Medical Definition

pang

noun

ˈpaŋ 

: a brief piercing spasm of pain see birth pang, hunger pangs