March 26, 2019 - Emily Dickinson described it as “a formal feeling.” The heart seems stiff and detached, our emotions wary and ceremonious. “This is the Hour of Lead,” wrote Dickinson. “First–Chill–then Stupor–then the letting go–.” · Greng Jai: In Thailand, greng jai (pronounced: kreng jai) is the feeling of being reluctant to accept another’s offer of help because of the bother it would call them. Hiraeth: The Welsh word hiraeth (pronounced hir-aeth, with a rolled ‘r’) describes a deeply felt connection with one’s homeland, casting its woods and hills in an almost magical glow.

The unknown and the unknowable, closeness and distance and trust, and the passage of time. And all the others around you who are each going through the same thing. The Romans called it lacrimae rerum, the "tears of things." We call them obscure ...

November 14, 2024 - Enter the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, the brainchild of writer John Koenig, who is here to give you words for the feelings you may not have even known you were having. Here are 40 words to describe your emotions.

February 12, 2021 - So many words, in fact, that there is an entire website dedicated to them called The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. While the website includes 117 of these heartbreakingly beautiful words, here are some of our favorites:

January 27, 2025 - Elipsism and Sonder are definitely words I could find useful. ... Where was this list of definitions sourced? Some of them are a bit weird IMO. ... Most of these are so obscure I almost feel like they're not real words, in the sense that words ...

August 9, 2023 - Here are 15 more obscure English words to describe feelings that are otherwise indescribable. The superb Scots dialect word croochie-proochles means the feeling of discomfort or fidgetiness that comes from sitting in a cramped position (like, say, on an airplane). You’re playing a game, and you suddenly realize that you’ve got it in the bag.

January 9, 2024 - To this they owe that leucocholy which lies deep down beneath the surface gaiety of their natures, and makes the dread of the unknown the dominant note of their lives. — Percy Amaury Talbot, In the Shadow of the Bush, 1912 ... Trepidatious isn’t as obscure as most of the other words in this article, but nevertheless, many people come to our dictionary to look it up after having been informed by the cruel and unfeeling gods who run the spellcheck programs that it is not a word.

July 8, 2024 - Altschmerz: Weari­ness with the same old issues that you’ve always had – the same bor­ing flaws and anx­i­eties that you’ve been gnaw­ing on for years. 23. Occhi­olism: The aware­ness of the small­ness of your per­spec­tive. ... “Tsun­doku,” the Japan­ese Word for the New Books That Pile Up on Our Shelves, Should Enter the Eng­lish Lan­guage

June 12, 2025 - Language grows and changes with us, just like our emotions do over time. There’s beauty in finding the right word especially when it speaks to a feeling that’s lingered unnamed. These obscure words for feelings we struggle to describe act as emotional translators, giving clarity to the hazy and voice to the silent.

March 10, 2017 - John Koenig loves finding words that express our unarticulated feelings -- like "lachesism," the hunger for disaster, and "sonder," the realization that everyone else's lives are as complex and...

176.1K Likes, 929 Comments. TikTok video from eli (@ewistone): “Explore the meaning of 'ochisia' and other beautiful words that capture unique feelings and experiences. Discover the beauty of uncommon words with deep meanings!

September 13, 2022 - Discover more classic and rarer words for emotions in German here. This word means you’ve been moved or touched, or had your heart warmed, by someone. Specifically, it’s a story that has stirred your heart or moved you to tears. It could be a story you hear from a friend, watch in a film, or read in a book.

Words have magical power that help make more sense of our thoughts and actions. Here are some expressions you should have in your vocabulary. ... Awaken the unshakable willpower that empowers you to overcome any obstacle and achieve your dreams. Motivational quotes, beautiful words with meaning, unusual words, and inspiring tattoos.

May 27, 2025 - Anhedonia. Esprit de l'escalier. Leucocholy. These obscure and very specific words for feelings are somehow real.

December 18, 2018 - Scroll down to read some of the weird words from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows and see if you ever felt any of the feelings described, now you have a word for them!

December 2, 2020 - And finally, in German, of course in German, they have a word called 'zielschmerz' which is the dread of getting what you want." In this TED Talk, Koenig, the author of The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, describes the power of words to shape ...

May 9, 2018 - So here’s a beautifully inspiring video by John Koenig, who created ‘The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows’ – an evergrowing collection of made-up words for those deep feelings we sometimes get as human beings, simply segments of language ...

Discover Pinterest’s best ideas and inspiration for Beautiful words that describe obscure emotions.

May 20, 2014 - It's interesting to browse the posts, but if you are actually looking for a particular word to describe something, it's pretty much useless. ... Hey, words only get added to the dictionary because people are using them. If a cultural move happens, it may actually be added. ... I thought the title said "obscure emoticons" and was expecting a joke website explaining dank memes.