Torschlusspanik
Etymology
German, literally "gate-shut panic," from "Tor" ("gate"), "Schluss" ("closing"), and "Panik." The image recalls medieval towns whose gates were locked at nightfall, leaving stragglers shut out. Today it usually names the pressure of life’s deadlines rather than any literal gate.
noun · /TOR-shloos-pah-nik/
The anxious sense that time is running out and your chances in life are closing.
What it names
The panic of watching windows of opportunity narrow with age — over careers, relationships, or having children.
Example
Turning thirty-nine still single triggered a wave of torschlusspanik about ever starting a family.
Related idea
It differs from ordinary anxiety by its specific source: not danger, but the felt shortening of time.
See also