Meanings
- uncountableA fear of, or aversion to, crossing a threshold or entering a place to begin a new chapter.
She describes in her autobiography how she was overcome by an attack of ‘Schwellenangst’ when she wanted to cover her first trial, making it impossible for her to enter the courtroom.
2005, Christina Ujma, “Gabriele Tergit and Berlin”, in Practicing Modernity, page 2631 more example
The inquiry also proves that a considerable number of people suffer from what is called "Schwellenangst", i. e., marked disinclination to visit a book shop unless they are quite sure of what title they want to buy.
1970, Scandinavian Public Library Quarterly, volumes 3-4, page 122
Origin
- GermanSchwellenangst
- EnglishSchwellenangst
Borrowed from German Schwellenangst, from Schwelle (“threshold”) + Angst (“anxiety”).
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Schwellenangst. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schwellenangst
“Schwellenangst.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schwellenangst. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Schwellenangst,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Schwellenangst.
Source: Schwellenangst on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.