angsts

Angst is a noun borrowed from German that in English denotes a deep-seated feeling of anxiety, dread, or foreboding. The term is often used to describe a diffuse mood rather than a specific fear, and it is most common in expressions such as existential angst or teen angst. In English usage, angst is usually treated as an uncountable mass noun, though angsts can appear when referring to multiple instances of anxiety or when used in headlines or as a title.

In psychology and everyday speech, angst differs from clinical anxiety disorders. It conveys a generalized or existential unease rather than measurable symptoms such as panic, avoidance, or functional impairment. Angsts can stem from questions about identity, meaning, or life direction, and may wax and wane with personal circumstances or cultural context.

In literature, philosophy, and media, angst has longstanding associations with existentialism and themes of alienation, freedom, and responsibility. Philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Heidegger discussed forms of anxiety that reveal the human condition, choice, and mortality. In popular culture, teen angst describes adolescent moods characterized by self-doubt, rebellion, or moodiness, often dramatized in music, film, and fiction.

Usage notes: while angsts is understood, angst remains the standard form for a general mood. When discussing multiple distinct feelings or experiences, angsts may be used, but the term is infrequent in formal writing. See also existentialism, anxiety, adolescence.