lęk
/ˈlɛŋk/
The Polish word for anxiety is lęk.
lęk refers to a state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession.
Meaning: state of uneasiness, nervousness, apprehension and obsession (noun)
Which one should you use?
While lęk refers to a more intense, clinical or deep-seated anxiety, niepokój is used for a milder sense of unease or worry. In Polish, as in English, lęk (anxiety) is a psychological state, whereas stres (stress) refers to the physiological or situational pressure one feels.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word lęk changes to lęku in the genitive case, which is used after many Polish prepositions and to indicate possession.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlɛŋk/
Did you know?
- The word lęk is a distant relative of the Proto-Indo-European root '*lenk-', which is connected to the concept of 'bending' or 'turning'.
- The nasal vowel in lęk is a distinct feature of Polish that does not exist in other Slavic languages like Czech or Slovak.
- In colloquial Polish, people often avoid the heavy word lęk and instead use stresować się as a general verb for any kind of anxiety.
Examples in context
- Mam stres przed ważnym egzaminem.I have stress about the important exam.
- Lęk przed wysokością.Fear of heights.
- Czuję silny lęk przed egzaminem.I feel a strong anxiety before the exam.
- Ten film wywołuje u mnie lęk.This movie causes anxiety in me.
- Lęk przed ciemnością jest bardzo powszechny.Fear of the dark is very common.
Example conversation
Agnieszka and Piotr are talking about a job interview.
- AgnieszkaPiotr, bardzo boję się tej rozmowy.Piotr, I am very afraid of this interview.
- PiotrTo normalne, że czujesz teraz lęk.It is normal that you feel anxiety now.
- AgnieszkaNie wiem, jak go opanować.I don't know how to control it.
- PiotrSpróbuj wziąć kilka głębokich oddechów.Try to take a few deep breaths.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry lęk, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lęk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
