mortal fear
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mortal fear
An extreme, panicked fear of one's own death or of dying that occurs in a life-threatening situation.
Als der Bergsteiger abzurutschen drohte, hatte er Todesangst.
When the mountaineer was in danger of slipping, he was in mortal fear.
The word is a compound made up of 'Tod' (death) and 'Angst' (fear). The 'es' is a linking s that connects the two nouns. So it literally describes the fear of death.
In dem brennenden Haus litt sie unter schrecklicher Todesangst.
In the burning house, she suffered terrible mortal fear.
You can say 'Todesangst haben' (to be in mortal fear) or 'in Todesangst sein' (to be in mortal fear). A very strong and common expression is 'Todesängste ausstehen', which describes an intense and often prolonged feeling.
Während des Flugzeugabsturzes standen die Passagiere Todesängste aus.
During the plane crash, the passengers endured mortal fear.
'Todesangst' (mortal fear) is a very strong word and is used for extreme panic in life-threatening situations. It is not an everyday fear, but a state of existential dread.
Allein im Dunkeln auf dem Meer überkam den Schwimmer die Todesangst.
Alone in the dark on the sea, the swimmer was overcome by mortal fear.
panic
'Panik' and 'Todesangst' both describe very strong fear. 'Panik' is more general: it can arise in danger, but also colloquially in stressful situations, for example before an exam or when something goes wrong. 'Todesangst' is much more specific and stronger. You use it when someone is truly afraid for their life or believes they might die. The words can be confused because panic can be very extreme. But not every case of panic is 'Todesangst'. 'Todesangst' only fits when it is about one's own death or a life-threatening situation.
Bei dem schweren Unfall hatte sie Todesangst.
During the serious accident, she was in mortal fear.
Nach der Arbeit bekam ich kurz Panik, weil ich mein Portemonnaie nicht fand.
After work, I briefly panicked because I couldn't find my wallet.