Angst means
fear or
anxiety (
anguish is its
Latinate equivalent, and
anxious, anxiety are of similar origin). The word
angst was introduced into English from the
Danish,
Norwegian and
Dutch word
angst and the
German word
Angst. It is attested since the 19th century in English translations of the works of
Kierkegaard and
Freud. It is used in English to describe an intense feeling of apprehension, anxiety, or inner turmoil.