Definition of angst

The German word "Angst" has become popular in the English-speaking world as a way of describing intense feelings of anxiety, fear, or emotional distress. Although "Angst" may sound unfamiliar to many English speakers, its origins can be traced back to Old High German, a language spoken between the 8th and 12th centuries. In Old High German, "angstat" was used to denote danger, jeopardy, or peril, which developed into the Middle High German word "angst" meaning "fear" or "dread". It was during the Romantic era of the 19th century that the modern meaning of "Angst" emerged. The German Romantic writer, philosopher, and psychologist Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling coined the term "Chezistry of the Sublime" to describe an aesthetic experience of emotions and ideas that transcends ordinary understanding. He used the term "Angst" in this context to indicate a passionate, tormented longing or desire that is associated with the depths of human affairs and life's mysteries. Since then, "Angst" and its derivatives have been incorporated into various European languages, including French ("anxiété") and Russian ("ужас") as a way to describe an intense emotional experience. In contemporary German reflective and philosophical thinking, "Angst" refers to an oppressive feeling or state of mind, similar to the English concept of existential angst. But beyond its use in philosophy and literature, "Angst" has become a common term used in modern psychology and medicine, describing deep-seated emotional anxiety associated with trauma or psychological disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders. Overall, "Angst" has undergone a transformation in meaning, from a descriptive term for danger and fear in Old High German, to a more complex, multi-layered term evocative of the intense emotional experience associated with life's mysteries and deep-seated emotional disturbances.