: a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity
teenage angst
angsted; angsting; angsts
: to feel or express anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity : to experience or express angst
"… all that time spent agonizing, angsting, and wasted in so many ways, feeling crappy and not writing … ."—
Zsuzsi Gartner
Zsuzsi GartnerAnd there was a whiff of "first-world problems" about two not particularly likeable characters angsting to each other in a trendy-looking gastropub.—Jeff Robson
—often used with over or aboutJeff RobsonYet now we have a Superman who angsts about not having human connections (his marriage to Lois never happened now) and mopes around quite a bit.—Corrina Lawson
Corrina LawsonWe boomers have moved on to mortgages and taxes, angsting over our teenagers and tending to the first signs of ailments apt to drag us down more quickly than we'd like to admit.—Robert Benjamin
Robert BenjaminExamples of angst in a Sentence
Noun
The winner of France's prestigious Prix de Flore, "Report on Myself" is a study in raw angst and mortifying self-disclosure: a portrait of the artist as a lover who just can't catch a break.
—Caroline Weber, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 2009
Adapting Alicia Erian's novel, writer-director Alan Ball showcases both the knack for sketching out thorny relationships that distinguished Six Feet Under and the impulse for … suburban angst that befouled his script for American Beauty.
—Troy Patterson, Spin, September 2008
The retail category, of course, has been a source of angst among newspapers for some time. Retail ad volume in papers has declined for much of the past 15 years, according to Merrill Lynch research.
—Lucia Moses et al., Editor & Publisher, 8 Oct. 2001
One way to increase these health benefits is to learn how to write more fluidly and with less angst and frustration. When you're engaged with what you're doing, the rest of the world recedes.
—Susan H. Perry, Psychology Today, November/December 2001
a film about teenage angst
Caroline Weber, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 2009
Adapting Alicia Erian's novel, writer-director Alan Ball showcases both the knack for sketching out thorny relationships that distinguished Six Feet Under and the impulse for … suburban angst that befouled his script for American Beauty.
—Troy Patterson, Spin, September 2008
The retail category, of course, has been a source of angst among newspapers for some time. Retail ad volume in papers has declined for much of the past 15 years, according to Merrill Lynch research.
—Lucia Moses et al., Editor & Publisher, 8 Oct. 2001
One way to increase these health benefits is to learn how to write more fluidly and with less angst and frustration. When you're engaged with what you're doing, the rest of the world recedes.
—Susan H. Perry, Psychology Today, November/December 2001
a film about teenage angst
Recent Examples on the Web
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Several other Democrats said that the confluence of deadlines, along with union angst, is doing little to change the fundamental dynamics.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The CEOs of these companies lived in fear and angst every day because of the governments around the world.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for angst
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Noun
The film tells a quietly amusing story that offers a more-than-realistic dive into one of the most iconic and thoughtful young men in world history – a man who essentially invented modern angst long before the internet existed.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
Several other Democrats said that the confluence of deadlines, along with union angst, is doing little to change the fundamental dynamics.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
Paul said any effort to avoid a vote could cause further disarray in the House Republican Conference due to angst over changing the House rules.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2025
The CEOs of these companies lived in fear and angst every day because of the governments around the world.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for angst
Cite this Entry
“Angst.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/angst. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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