pang
gb/pˈæŋ/ us/pˈæŋ/
B2
English
~ 7500
nyilallás, lelkiismeret-furdalás, éhséggörcs, belenyilall
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a pang of [emotion]
She felt a sharp pang of guilt as she drove past the homeless man.
Éles bűntudat nyilallt belé, amikor elhajtott a hajléktalan férfi mellett.
He ignored the pangs of conscience and took the money anyway.
Nem törődött a lelkiismeret-furdalásával, és mégis elvette a pénzt.
I still get the occasional pang of regret when I think about that decision.
A sudden pang of homesickness hit him as the plane took off.
Watching her old team win gave her a pang of jealousy.
Learner examples
I felt a pang of guilt when I lied to my friend.
Bűntudat nyilallt belém, amikor hazudtam a barátomnak.
He had a pang of regret after he shouted at his mother.
Hirtelen belé nyilallt a megbánás, miután rákiabált az anyjára.
She feels pangs of homesickness when she is away at college.
The story gave him a pang of sadness.
She tried to ignore the pangs of conscience after cheating on the test.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a pang of pain"* for emotional feelings, but it is more natural to say *"a pang of guilt / regret / sadness"* or to use *"twinge"*. Another mistake is to use *pang* as an uncountable noun (e.g. *"I felt pang"*); it is normally countable: *"I felt a pang"* or *"I felt pangs"*.
Meaning
sudden sharp feeling of guilt
Collocations
pangs of guilt
|a pang of guilt
|pangs of conscience
|a pang of regret
|pangs of homesickness
|a pang of jealousy
Synonyms
twinge (Very close in meaning, but slightly milder and more common in everyday speech.)
|
stab (Emphasizes how sudden and piercing the feeling is; slightly more vivid or dramatic.)
|
pang of remorse (More specific than 'pang', focusing on deep regret for something wrong.)
Antonyms
relief (The feeling when emotional pain or worry goes away.)
|
comfort (A feeling of emotional ease instead of sudden emotional pain.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A short, very strong bad feeling, especially of guilt, regret, or sadness.
A sudden, brief, and very sharp feeling of emotional distress, especially guilt, regret, or sadness.
NOUN
B2
2
nyilallás
B2
éhséggörcs
B2
Usage pattern:
a pang of [bodily feeling]
By midday, the hunger pangs were almost unbearable.
Délre az éhséggörcsök már szinte elviselhetetlenek voltak.
He felt a sudden pang in his chest and decided to see a doctor.
Hirtelen nyilallást érzett a mellkasában, ezért úgy döntött, orvoshoz fordul.
The child woke up crying from pangs of pain in her ear.
She tried to ignore the pangs of hunger and kept working.
Early labor often begins with irregular pangs of pain.
Learner examples
I get hunger pangs if I skip breakfast.
Éhséggörcseim vannak, ha kihagyom a reggelit.
He felt a sharp pang in his back when he lifted the box.
Éles nyilallást érzett a hátában, amikor felemelte a dobozt.
She ate a snack to stop the hunger pangs.
A sudden pang in his leg made him sit down.
Long trips can give me pangs of hunger.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes write *"hunger pains"* instead of *"hunger pangs"*. Both are understood, but *"hunger pangs"* is the more standard and often preferred spelling in careful writing.
Meaning
sudden sharp bodily pain
Collocations
hunger pangs
|a hunger pang
|pangs of hunger
|a pang in his chest
|pangs of pain
|pangs of childbirth
Synonyms
twinge (Very similar, but often sounds slightly less intense than a pang.)
|
stab (Focuses on a very sharp, stabbing kind of pain, often stronger than a pang.)
|
spasm (Describes a sudden tightening of muscles, more technical and less about brief sensations.)
Antonyms
satiation (The feeling of being fully satisfied with food, the opposite of hunger pangs.)
Themes
health
|food
|body
Definition
A short, very strong pain in the body, or a sharp feeling of hunger in the stomach.
A sudden, brief, and very sharp feeling of physical pain or hunger in the body.
VERB
C2
LITERARY
3
belenyilall
B2
Usage pattern:
[something] pangs [someone]
The memory of his harsh words still pangs him years later.
A kemény szavainak emléke még évekkel később is belé nyilall.
Her broken promise pangs his conscience every time he sees her.
Valahányszor meglátja, a nőnek tett, de megszegett ígérete belenyilall a lelkiismeretébe.
The sight of the abandoned dog pangs her with guilt.
It pangs me to think how careless we were.
The letter pangs him each time he reads it.
Learner examples
The memory still pangs him when he thinks about it.
Az emlék még mindig belé nyilall, amikor rágondol.
Her lies pang his conscience.
A hazugságai belenyilallnak a lelkiismeretébe.
It pangs me to see you so sad.
The story pangs her with guilt.
His rude words pang her every day.
Common mistake:
Learners rarely use this verb and may try to use it like more common verbs (*"I pang"* without an object). In modern English, this verb form is rare and mostly used in literary style, usually with something non-human as the subject: *"The memory pangs him."*
Meaning
to cause a sharp pang
Collocations
pang the conscience
|memories that pang him
|pang her with guilt
|a thought that pangs him
Synonyms
afflict (More formal and general; does not emphasize the sudden, sharp nature of the feeling.)
|
torment (Stronger and suggests longer, ongoing suffering, not just a brief pang.)
Antonyms
comfort (Means to make someone feel better, the opposite of causing pain or guilt.)
|
reassure (Removes worry or guilt instead of causing it.)
Themes
emotions
|literature
|health
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone suddenly feel a sharp pain or a strong bad feeling, like guilt.
To cause someone to feel a sudden sharp physical pain or painful emotion.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pang
IPA
GB/pˈæŋ/
US/pˈæŋ/
Syllables & stress
pang (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pang)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: pang
- Plural: pangs
Verb
- Base: pang
- 3rd Person Singular: pangs
- Present Participle: panging
- Past: panged
Word family
Expressions
birth pangs
1/bˈɚθ pˈæŋz/
idiom
literary
early difficulties of a beginning
The problems and pain that happen at the start of something new, like a new system or organization.
Examples
- The new democracy is still experiencing the birth pangs of reform.
- These delays are just the birth pangs of a complex project.
- The company’s expansion came with inevitable birth pangs, including staffing problems.
pangs of conscience
1/pˈæŋz əv kˈɑnʃəns/
fixed phrase
formal
sudden guilt from conscience
Short, strong bad feelings that come from your sense of right and wrong after you do something wrong.
Examples
- He ignored the pangs of conscience and kept the wallet he had found.
- Pangs of conscience finally led her to confess the lie.
- The politician claimed to feel no pangs of conscience over his actions.
pangs of guilt
1/pˈæŋz əv ɡˈɪlt/
fixed phrase
sudden sharp feelings of guilt
Short, strong feelings of guilt about something you did or did not do.
Examples
- She felt pangs of guilt after canceling their plans at the last minute.
- Despite his success, he still experienced pangs of guilt over how he had treated his brother.
- The sight of the empty shelter gave her pangs of guilt for not adopting a pet.
pangs of hunger
1/pˈæŋz əv hˈʌŋɡɚ/
fixed phrase
sudden sharp feelings of hunger
Short, strong feelings of hunger in your body.
Examples
- She tried to sleep through the pangs of hunger.
- Pangs of hunger kept him awake all night.
- The refugees spoke of constant pangs of hunger during the journey.
hunger pangs
1/hˈʌŋɡɚ pˈæŋz/
fixed phrase
sharp feelings of hunger
Quick, strong pains in your stomach that you feel when you are very hungry.
Examples
- By late afternoon, hunger pangs were distracting her from her work.
- By mid-morning, the hunger pangs had already started.
- He grabbed a sandwich to quiet the hunger pangs.
- She grabbed a snack to stop the hunger pangs.
- Long flights always give me hunger pangs halfway through.
- The children tried to sleep through their hunger pangs.