aggály

Aggály is a Hungarian noun (feminine) that denotes a sense of concern, worry, or misgiving about a person, situation, or decision. It can also refer to reservations or objections in a formal or reflective context. The term is commonly found in administrative, legal, academic, and media language, as well as in careful everyday speech when someone wants to express doubt without asserting it as a fact.

Usage and nuance

Aggály expresses a cautious or doubtful attitude rather than a strong emotion. It is often used with verbs such as aggályt felvetni (to raise concerns), aggályokat feloldani (to resolve concerns), or aggályokra hivatkozni (to refer to concerns). The adjective aggályos derives from the same semantic field and describes something that is questionable, problematic, or causes concern. Typical collocations include aggályos kérdés (a problematic question) and aggályos helyzet (a troubling situation).

Grammatical notes and related terms

Aggály is a countable noun, with plural aggályok. Related forms include aggályos (adjective), aggódás or aggodalom (anxiety), and verbs such as aggódik (to worry) or aggályoskodni (to be scrupulous or overly cautious). Synonyms include kétség, kétely, aggodalom, and in some contexts gyanú; antonyms include bizalom and nyugalom.

Etymology

The word is native Hungarian and shares its semantic field with related terms such as aggódik and aggályos. The precise historical roots are opaque, but the term has long been used in formal and literary language to denote reservations or concerns.

See also

Aggodalom, aggályos, aggályoskodás.