Pang

Pang

Noun · /pæŋ/ · a sudden, sharp feeling of pain or distress

Definition

A sudden, brief, and sharp feeling of physical or emotional pain. Most commonly used for emotional sensations: a pang of guilt, a pang of longing, a pang of jealousy. Can also describe a sudden physical sensation such as hunger pangs.

Origin

First recorded in the early sixteenth century. Origin uncertain — possibly related to prong (a pointed projection) or to Middle Dutch prange, meaning to press or squeeze painfully. The word captures the piercing, pointed quality of a sudden ache.