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Pang vs Spasm - What's the difference?

pang | spasm |

As nouns the difference between pang and spasm

is that pang is paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; sudden and transitory agony; throe while spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.

As verbs the difference between pang and spasm

is that pang is to torment; to torture; to cause to have great pain or suffering while spasm is to produce and undergo a spasm.

pang

English

(Webster 1913)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (often, pluralized) paroxysm of extreme physical pain or anguish; sudden and transitory agony; throe
  • * 1591 , , Henry VI, Part II , act 3, sc. 3,
    • See, how the pangs of death do make him grin!
  • * 1888 , , "The Nightingale and the Rose" in The Happy Prince and Other Tales ,
    • So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her.
  • (often, pluralized) A sharp, sudden feeling of a mental or emotional nature, as of joy or sorrow
  • * 1867 , , The Guardian Angel , ch. 7,
    • He was startled with a piece of information which gave him such an exquisite pang of delight that he could hardly keep the usual quiet of his demeanor.

    Related terms

    * birth pangs * pang of conscience

    Verb

  • to torment; to torture; to cause to have great pain or suffering
  • * 1918 , , "On Unanswering Letters" in Mince Pie ,
    • It panged him so to say good-bye when he had to leave.

    External links

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    spasm

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ.
  • A violent, excruciating seizure of pain.
  • A sudden and temporary burst of energy, activity, or emotion.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To produce and undergo a .

    • Anagrams

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