noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The kind of sentimentality depicted in The Sorrows of Young Werther (German: Die Leiden des jungen Werthers), an epistolary and loosely autobiographical novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, first published in 1774, with a theme of heartbreak leading to suicide. uncountable

Etymology

From Werther + -ism.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.