sturm und drang: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Literary, Academic
Quick answer
What does “sturm und drang” mean?
A period of intense emotional turmoil, upheaval, or passionate protest, often associated with youth.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A period of intense emotional turmoil, upheaval, or passionate protest, often associated with youth.
A state of great commotion, ferment, or stress; a literary or artistic movement characterized by extreme subjectivity and the expression of turbulent emotions, originating in late 18th-century Germany.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical, though the term may be slightly more common in American academic and literary criticism.
Connotations
Carries strong connotations of artistic rebellion, youthful angst, and emotional intensity in both varieties.
Frequency
Low frequency in everyday speech; primarily used in literary, historical, psychological, and artistic contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “sturm und drang” in a Sentence
[Subject/Period] was marked by Sturm und Drang.The [noun phrase] went through a phase of Sturm und Drang.Her work is full of Sturm und Drang.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “sturm und drang” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The playwright's early works sturm-und-dranged against the establishment.
- He spent his twenties sturm-und-dranging through various artistic phases.
American English
- The band's first album sturm-und-dranged its way onto the charts.
- She sturm-und-dranged through her graduate thesis with intense passion.
adverb
British English
- He argued sturm-und-drang, pounding the table for emphasis.
- The movement progressed sturm-und-drang, with frequent manifestos and protests.
American English
- She lived sturm-und-drang, embracing every emotional extreme.
- The project developed sturm-und-drang, amid constant creative clashes.
adjective
British English
- His was a sturm-und-drang adolescence, full of rebellion.
- The film has a distinctly sturm-und-drang aesthetic.
American English
- She wrote a sturm-und-drang memoir about her early career.
- The politician's sturm-und-drang rhetoric appealed to young voters.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Used metaphorically to describe a period of disruptive change or management upheaval, e.g., 'The merger negotiations were pure Sturm und Drang.'
Academic
Common in literature, history, and arts courses to describe the 1770s German movement or as a critical term for works of emotional intensity.
Everyday
Very rare. Might be used humorously or hyperbolically to describe teenage drama or family arguments.
Technical
Used in musicology (e.g., describing certain works of Beethoven) and literary criticism as a formal period/style label.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “sturm und drang”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “sturm und drang”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sturm und drang”
- Incorrectly capitalizing all words in non-specific usage (e.g., 'his teenage sturm und drang'). Mispronouncing 'drang' to rhyme with 'rang' instead of 'hang'. Using it to describe simple stress without the element of passionate rebellion or artistic ferment.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring specifically to the 1770-1780s German literary movement, it is capitalized as a proper noun (Sturm und Drang). When used as a common noun to mean general turmoil or emotional ferment, it is usually written in lowercase (sturm und drang).
No, it is a low-frequency, specialized term. It is most common in academic, literary, and artistic discussions. In everyday conversation, using it would sound formal or pretentious; simpler synonyms like 'turmoil' or 'upheaval' are preferred.
Yes, it can imply positive, productive creative energy and passionate commitment, not just negative chaos. It often suggests a necessary or fruitful period of intense feeling and rebellion that precedes calm or great achievement.
In English, 'drang' is pronounced to rhyme with 'hang' or 'sang' (/dræŋ/). The 'a' is a short vowel as in 'cat'. Avoid pronouncing it to rhyme with 'rang' (past tense of ring).
A period of intense emotional turmoil, upheaval, or passionate protest, often associated with youth.
Sturm und drang is usually formal, literary, academic in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A storm in a teacup (for a trivial instance of exaggerated turmoil)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a STORM (Sturm) of strong feelings that DRANGS (drangs) on your nerves, like teenage angst.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL LIFE IS A STORM / CREATIVITY IS TURBULENT WEATHER
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'Sturm und Drang' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?