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
  • My audience would laugh one instant, and then with the alchemical dark arts of my verbal prowess, they’d be volta’d into grief and ennui with breakneck speed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • Before there was The Office—British or American—there was Office Space, Mike Judge’s razor-sharp satire of middle-American corporate ennui.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 4 July 2026
Definition of ennui
Noun
  • This isn't mere boredom, but chronic exhaustion from performing work employees know is meaningless and potentially automatable, yet cannot openly question.
    — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Swashbuckling and romantic, this story will chase away any signs of summer boredom.
    — Toby Rose, Parents, 30 June 2026
Definition of boredom
Noun
  • Its most common initial symptoms, confusion and tiredness, are too often overlooked as simple exhaustion.
    — Chuka Onuh, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
  • Many people assume tiredness is due to lack of sleep or stress.
    — Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 23 June 2026
Definition of tiredness
Noun
  • Sea Rangers offer a Swiss Army knife’s dexterity, pursuing government contracts across the European Union and United Kingdom to tackle the tedium of climate compliance and the drudgery of clearing those backlogs.
    — Richard Morgan, Time, 29 June 2026
  • Of course, the tedium is the point.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of tedium
Noun
  • Your restlessness could tempt you to overindulge, overspend or seek validation, so check in with yourself first and foremost.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
  • Generalized anxiety may manifest itself in depression, compulsion or restlessness.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
Definition of restlessness
Noun
  • Eventually, weariness begins to affect more than just your mood.
    — Scott Hanson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • The war-weariness in Sadeq’s words reflects the exhaustion felt throughout Lebanon, but especially among the Shiites who form a third of its 6 million residents.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
Definition of weariness
Noun
  • Sly and the Family Stone would join those bands on the charts soon enough, but their debut was released just after the Summer of Love to public indifference.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 7 July 2026
  • Fairbanks then walked Max Muncy, who moved to second on defensive indifference, and Heim delivered a two-run single.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of indifference

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weltschmerz
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Cite this Entry

“Weltschmerz.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/weltschmerz. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on weltschmerz

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about weltschmerz

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