A sudden sharp feeling of pain or emotion, like a pang of guilt, hunger, or longing.
From Middle English 'pang,' origin uncertain but possibly related to 'pungent' (from Latin 'pungere,' meaning to prick or pierce). The metaphorical use of piercing for emotional pain is ancient.
We use 'pang' almost exclusively for emotions now (guilt, hunger, longing), yet it originally meant physical pain—showing how abstract emotional language borrows from physical pain, as if feelings literally pierce us.
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