pang

1 of 2

noun

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

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
The tender whimper on the last note captures perfectly the pangs of saying goodbye to a relationship. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024 When the idea of being a writer finally came to me, I was drawn less by the pangs of the heart and more to the suffering of wars and conflict, and became a foreign correspondent. Nicholas Casey Nicholas Casey, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024 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
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.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of pang was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pang

Cite this Entry

“Pang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pang. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

pang

noun
ˈpaŋ
: a sudden sharp attack of pain or distress

Medical Definition

pang

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

More from Merriam-Webster on pang

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