Brugmos (βρυγμός) refers to the grinding or gnashing of teeth — the action of clenching and grinding the jaw, typically in rage, grief, or agony. Jesus uses the phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" seven times in Matthew's Gospel to describe the condition of those excluded from the kingdom of God.
The "weeping and gnashing of teeth" formula in Matthew (8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28) is among the most sobering phrases in Jesus's teaching. It describes not annihilation but conscious, ongoing anguish — the torment of those who chose darkness and now experience its full reality. Jesus speaks these words not to terrify the elect but to warn the uncommitted, urging them to enter while the door is open.