vész

Vész is a Hungarian noun that translates roughly as danger or peril. In contemporary standard Hungarian, the more common word for danger is veszély, while vész is mainly found in literary, historical, or emphatic usage. It can convey a sense of looming doom or catastrophe beyond ordinary risk.

In modern writing, vész tends to occur in older or stylistic contexts, such as poetry or classical prose, where it contributes a more archaic or solemn tone. It is less productive in everyday speech, where veszély and related terms are preferred. The word can still appear in idiomatic or formal expressions that aim to evoke danger in a heightened, historical, or literary sense.

Etymology and related terms: Vész is related to other danger-related Hungarian terms, including veszedelem (peril) and veszély (danger). These words share a common semantic field centered on harm and risk. While veszély is the everyday term, vész remains a recognized, though less common, lexical item used to evoke dramatic or solemn connotations.

See also: veszély; veszedelem.