A pang is a sudden, sharp feeling, usually of pain or strong emotion. When you're really hungry, you might feel hunger pangs: quick, tight sensations in your stomach that remind you it's time to eat. When you remember something embarrassing you did yesterday, you might feel a pang of regret or shame, a quick jolt of uncomfortable feeling.

Pangs are brief and intense. They come on suddenly, last a moment, and fade away, though they might return. A student watching their best friend move away might feel pangs of sadness every time they pass their friend's empty desk. Someone who told a lie might experience pangs of guilt that keep coming back until they make things right.

The word almost always describes something unpleasant or uncomfortable. You don't feel pangs of happiness, though you might feel pangs of longing when you miss someone you love. Physical pangs, like hunger pangs or a pang in your side while running, are sharp and attention-grabbing. Emotional pangs, like pangs of jealousy or conscience, can be just as intense even though nothing physically hurts.