German Fear & Anxiety Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of fear at every intensity, from the everyday nervös and ängstlich up to heavier words like die Beklommenheit and unheilschwanger. One thing to watch: unheimlich doesn't just mean 'scary', it's also a common intensifier meaning 'incredibly' (unheimlich müde = incredibly tired), so context decides whether someone is describing a ghost story or just exaggerating their tiredness.
Learn these 24 words
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All 24 words
plural: die Ängste
fear
Ich habe Angst vor großen Hunden. — I am afraid of big dogs.
- nervösA2
nervous
Bei Prüfungen bin ich immer sehr nervös. — I am always very nervous during exams.
anxious, fearful
Meine Mutter ist etwas ängstlich. Sie geht nicht gern allein auf die Straße. — My mother is somewhat anxious. She doesn't like to go out alone.
- fürchtenB1
fear, be afraid
Sie fürchtet sich vor Schlangen. — She is afraid of snakes.
plural: die Schrecke
fright
Ich habe einen großen Schreck bekommen. — I got quite a fright.
uncanny, eerie
Ich mag dieses Haus nicht. Es sieht unheimlich aus. — I don't like this house. It looks eerie.
crazy, insane
Du fährst viel zu schnell. Bist du wahnsinnig?! — You're driving way too fast. Are you insane?!
plural: die Besorgnisse
concern / anxiety / worry
Die Besorgnis um die Zukunft wächst täglich. — The concern for the future grows daily.
plural: die Einschüchterungen
intimidation
Die Einschüchterung durch Drohungen war sehr wirksam. — The intimidation through threats was very effective.
spooky / ghostly / eerie
Die gespenstische Atmosphäre verstärkte unsere Angst. — The eerie atmosphere heightened our fear.
- ominösB2
ominous
Das ominöse Flüstern ließ ihn erschaudern. — The ominous whispering made him shudder.
disquiet / unease / discomfort
Ein Unbehagen erfasste sie in diesem Moment. — A disquiet seized her in that moment.
to unsettle / make uncertain
Diese Kritik verunsichert mich sehr. — This criticism unsettles me greatly.
plural: die Verunsicherungen
uncertainty
Die Verunsicherung der Bevölkerung wuchs täglich. — The uncertainty of the population grew daily.
uneasy / anxious
Ein beklommenes Gefühl überkam ihn plötzlich. — An uneasy feeling suddenly overcame him.
plural: die Beklommeneheiten
apprehensiveness / trepidation
Die Beklommenheit vor dem Prüfungstag war groß. — The apprehensiveness before exam day was great.
to horrify / appall
Das schreckliche Unglück entsetzte die ganze Stadt. — The terrible disaster appalled the whole city.
haunted
Die heimgesuchte Familie brauchte psychologische Hilfe. — The haunted family needed psychological help.
to haunt / plague / attack / invade
Albträume heimsuchen ihn jede Nacht. — Nightmares haunt him every night.
faint-hearted / timid
Er wirkte kleinmütig und unsicher. — He seemed faint-hearted and insecure.
portentious / ominous
Das war ein unheilschwanger Omen. — That was an ominous portent.
portentous / ominous
Der unheilvoll drohende Himmel machte uns Angst. — The ominously threatening sky frightened us.
plural: die Urangsten
a primal fear
Die Urangst vor dem Tod ist menschlich. — The primal fear of death is human.
- verzagenC1
to lose heart / become disheartened
Er verzagte nicht trotz der Schwierigkeiten. — He did not lose heart despite the difficulties.
How to learn this set
Several nouns here are built directly from adjectives or verbs you already know: die Beklommenheit comes from beklommen, die Verunsicherung comes from verunsichern, and die Einschüchterung comes from the verb einschüchtern (not in this list, but worth knowing). Learn the verb or adjective first, then the -heit/-ung noun follows almost automatically, along with its gender (die). Also group heimsuchen and heimgesucht together as a verb/participle pair rather than treating heimgesucht as a separate adjective to memorize. For the near-synonyms ominös, unheilschwanger, and unheilvoll, don't try to distinguish their meanings, drill them as one register: formal, slightly literary ways to say 'ominous' that you'll meet in writing more than speech.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Angst and Furcht in German?
Angst is the general, often diffuse feeling of fear or dread, while Furcht (from fürchten) usually points to a specific object or cause. In practice, Germans use Angst far more often in everyday speech; Furcht sounds slightly more formal or literary.
Is Angst masculine or feminine in German?
Angst is feminine: die Angst. This trips up a lot of learners because the word looks abrupt and almost neuter in English, but it takes die, sie, ihre like any other feminine noun.
What does unheimlich mean besides scary?
Unheimlich literally describes something eerie or uncanny, like a Gespenst (ghost) might feel. Colloquially, though, Germans also use it as an intensifier meaning 'incredibly' or 'really', as in unheimlich viel Arbeit (an incredible amount of work).
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