weltschmerz

noun

Definition of weltschmerznext
as in ennui

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of weltschmerz Others blame a kind of 21st-century weltschmerz—a sadness about the state of the world and our uncertain future in it. — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 26 May 2026 As in the original, the orchestra (fluidly led, as usual, by Rob Berman) is visibly perched above the action, pouring out weltschmerz-laden melodies that flow like a thick, high-proof dessert wine. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for weltschmerz
  1. ennui
  2. boredom
  3. tiredness
  4. tedium
  5. restlessness
  6. weariness
  7. indifference
Noun
  • And hey, if the superstar was feeling a little low, what better pick-me-up than karaoke with Chrissie Hynde or a heart-to-heart in the ladies’ with ennui expert Lena Dunham?
    — Ben Jureidini, Vanity Fair, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Ellis was the enfant terrible of the ’80s and ’90s literary scene, earning a following with novels about disaffected teens and 20-somethings mixed up in drugs, ennui, and gang rapes.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of ennui
Noun
  • Take us to that moment, this middle-age malaise, this boredom.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Her boredom was sharpened by the discovery that most of her initial assumptions were wrong.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of boredom
Noun
  • Australia clung to its final six point margin for the last 27 minutes of the match when tiredness induced by altitude in the mountainous venue saw some sloppiness and imprecision invade its game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Marie Claire describes the trend as deliberately recreating dark circles and other signs of tiredness that makeup has traditionally been used to hide.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiredness
Noun
  • The remaining episodes—a trip to Charleston, with a detour to a Boeing plant; a trip to Texas, with a detour to a CRH subsidiary; a trip to Arizona, with a ride in a Waymo—mostly settle back into the tedium of Episode 1.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The experience is…less fun, although bad film aficionados know that some level of tedium is inherent to almost all of the most canonical worst movies ever.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of tedium
Noun
  • That same day, the moon will reach its first quarter phase in Sagittarius, bringing an air of restlessness and expansion, encouraging us to stop overthinking and finally take a leap of faith.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Anwar Hussein There was a restlessness to Diana’s movements in those summer months.
    — Allie Merriam, Vanity Fair, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of restlessness
Noun
  • Speaking after Chelsea’s 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday, manager Xabi Alonso betrayed some weariness at the lack of closure.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • This global phenomenon, seen in Japan's rising yields, suggests market weariness.
    — Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of weariness
Noun
  • The building at the excavation was previously thought to have served as a prison, due to the shoddiness of its construction and its indifference to aesthetics.
    — Jim Greer, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Jocelyne keeps hitting a wall of indifference from the military and authorities.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of indifference

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welts
weltschmerz
wench
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Cite this Entry

“Weltschmerz.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weltschmerz. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on weltschmerz

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about weltschmerz

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