Angst

See also: angst

German

Etymology

From Middle High German angest, from Old High German angust, from Proto-Germanic *angustiz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ʔaŋst]
  • Audio (Austria)(file)
  • Audio(file)

Noun

Angst f (genitive Angst, plural Ängste)

  1. fear; fright; anxiety

Usage notes

  • A distinction may be made (or may formerly have been made) between Angst meaning “fear as an emotional condition” and Furcht meaning “fear as the reasonable reaction to a threat”.
  • In contemporary German, the two words are widely treated as synonyms with Angst being preferred over Furcht.
  • The exception to this is that Furcht can also express a respectful fear, which Angst cannot. For example, Furcht vor dem Vater ("fear of one's father") may be an exceeding amount of respect, whereas Angst vor dem Vater clearly implies parental misconduct.

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

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