angsty

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparableinformal

   Feeling or showing a gloomy, restless worry about life, often in a dramatic way that is typical of teenagers.

   Grammar: Can come before a noun (angsty poetry) or after be (he feels angsty).

   Patterns

   • feel angsty about something

   My brother wrote angsty poetry throughout high school.

   She felt angsty about leaving home for college.

   The band is famous for its angsty lyrics.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nouninformal

   Describing a story, song or work that deals with intense inner worry and emotional turmoil.

   Grammar: In this sense it is almost always placed before a noun such as song, film or novel.

   Patterns

   • an angsty film

   It is an angsty drama about a boy who cannot decide what to do with his life.

   Critics called the album angsty and self-absorbed.

   He loved angsty novels as a teenager.

Word forms

Common combinations

angsty teenager

The movie features an angsty teenager who hates his town.

angsty music

Angsty music fills her playlist.

angsty lyrics

The angsty lyrics spoke to many listeners.

feel angsty

I always feel angsty before exams.

angsty phase

My cousin is going through an angsty phase.

Synonyms and how they differ

anxious

Anxious is neutral and describes real worry, while angsty adds a hint of dramatic, brooding mood.

moody

Moody focuses on changeable or sulky moods, not deep worry about life.

tormented

Tormented is much stronger and more serious, and it is not teasing.

brooding

Brooding suggests quiet, dark thought, while angsty can be more restless and expressive.

Opposites

Word family

angst noun

deep anxiety about life or the world

angstily adverb

in an angsty way

anxiety noun

a feeling of worry

anxious adjective

worried or uneasy

Commonly confused: angsty or angry?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “angsty”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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