Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Weltschmerz

//ˈvɛltˌʃmɛːts// noun

Definitions

Noun

1
An apathetic or pessimistic view of life; depression concerning or discomfort with the human condition or state of the world; mal du siècle, world-weariness. uncountable
"And in this respect [Ludwig] Uhland presents a marked and useful contrast to the lackadaisical, sentimental, Weltschmerz school, the poets of which trade on their own pretended misery, and, cunningly enough, suggest that their poems must be touching and true in proportion as the authors set themselves forth as peculiarly skilled in bitterness of heart and badness of life."
2
Alternative letter-case form of Weltschmerz. alt-of, uncountable
"[Henry] Koerner's painting did have the heaviness, the harsh humor and the all-pervading weltschmerz which characterized German expressionism in the 1920s."
3
sadness on thinking about the evils of the world wordnet

Etymology

Borrowed from German Weltschmerz, from Welt (“world”) + Schmerz (“physical ache, pain; emotional pain, heartache, sorrow”). The German word was coined by the author Jean Paul (1763–1825) in his novel Selina (posthumously published in 1827).

Next best steps

Find stronger synonyms See usage examples Check pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: weltschmerz