Anguish

Anguish

:"For the movie, see Anguish (film)"Anguish is a term used in contemporary philosophy, often as a translation from the German angst, meaning "dread". It is a paramount feature of existentialist philosophy, in which anguish is often understood as the experience of an utterly free being in a world with zero absolutes (existential despair). In the theology of Kierkegaard, it refers to a being with total free will who is in a constant state of spiritual fear that his free will leads him to fall short of the standards that God has laid for him.

In the teachings of Sartre, anguish is seen when an utterly free beings realizes the unpredictability of his or her action. For example, when walking along a cliff, you would feel anguish to know that you have the freedom to throw yourself down to your imminent death.

Info

Main Entry: 1an·guish

Pronunciation: ˈaŋ-gwish

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English angwisshe, from Anglo-French anguisse, angoisse, from Latin angustiae, plural, straits, distress, from angustus narrow; akin to Old English enge narrow — more at anger

Date: 13th century : extreme pain, distress, or anxiety

Quote

"That we create our own anguish and that if we had reacted differently we would not have caused ourselves this thing we call Anguish so it is up to you whether to be calm or cause yourself pain and distress".


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Synonyms:
(especially of the mind), , , , , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Anguish — An guish, n. [OE. anguishe, anguise, angoise, F. angoisse, fr. L. angustia narrowness, difficulty, distress, fr. angustus narrow, difficult, fr. angere to press together. See {Anger}.] Extreme pain, either of body or mind; excruciating distress.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • anguish — [aŋ′gwish] n. [ME angwisshe < OFr anguisse < L angustia, tightness, distress: see ANGER] great suffering, as from worry, grief, or pain; agony vt. to cause to feel anguish vi. to feel anguish SYN. DISTRESS …   English World dictionary

  • anguish — I verb ache, aggrieve, agonize, desolate, disturb, excruciate, grieve, harry, make miserable, pain, prostrate, rack, suffer, torment, torture, trouble, writhe associated concepts: mental anguish, noneconomic loss, pain and suffering II index pain …   Law dictionary

  • Anguish — An guish, v. t. [Cf. F. angoisser, fr. L. angustiare.] To distress with extreme pain or grief. [R.] Temple. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • anguish — woe, heartache, heartbreak, grief, *sorrow, regret Analogous words: *distress, suffering, dolor, misery, agony: worry, anxiety (see CARE): *pain, pang, throe, ache: torture, torment, affliction (see corresponding verbs at AFFLICT) Antonyms:… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • anguish — [n] severe upset or pain affliction, agony, distress, dole, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, hurting, misery, pang, rue, sorrow, suffering, throe, torment, torture, woe, wretchedness; concept 410 Ant. comfort, contentment, happiness, joy,… …   New thesaurus

  • anguish — ► NOUN ▪ severe mental or physical pain or suffering. ORIGIN Latin angustia tightness , (in plural) straits, distress …   English terms dictionary

  • anguish — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ bitter, deep, great, real ▪ inner, personal, private ▪ emotional, mental …   Collocations dictionary

  • anguish — n. (formal) 1) to cause anguish 2) deep; mental anguish 3) anguish at, over 4) in anguish (in anguish over smb. s death) * * * [ æŋgwɪʃ] mental anguish over (formal) to cause anguish deep anguish at …   Combinatory dictionary

  • anguish — {{11}}anguish (n.) c.1200, acute bodily or mental suffering, from O.Fr. anguisse, angoisse choking sensation, distress, anxiety, rage, from L. angustia (pl. angustiae) tightness, straitness, narrowness; figuratively distress, difficulty, from… …   Etymology dictionary

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