Aggodalmát

Aggodalmát is a noun in Icelandic that denotes a pronounced state of worry or alarm about potential dangers or consequences; it carries a sense of dread or foreboding beyond ordinary concern.

In contemporary usage, aggodalmát is relatively rare and tends to appear in literary, historical, or religious prose. More common words for similar feelings are áhyggja (concern), kvíði (anxiety), or ótti (fear). Aggodalmát often carries moral or existential weight, such as fear of judgment or anxiety about the consequences of one’s actions.

Origin and usage patterns suggest aggodalmát is an older or more literary term. It appears in some historical Icelandic texts and is described as a strengthened or archaic expression of dread. Its exact etymology is not widely codified in modern dictionaries, and it is typically viewed as a compound-like formation that signals a state (mát) of agitation or fear (agg-).

See also: Áhyggja, Kvíði, Ótti. In translation contexts, aggodalmát is commonly rendered as dread or profound anxiety.