Definition

Noun: A feeling of melancholy, world-weariness, or sentimental sadness about the state of the world; a profound, often pessimistic, sense of grief or apathy arising from the realization of the world's inherent flaws and suffering.

Usage

This is a literary and somewhat philosophical term. It describes a deep, reflective, and often passive sadness about the general condition of the world, rather than a personal sorrow. It is typically used in formal or intellectual contexts.

Examples

• The poet's later works are filled with a deep weltschmerz, lamenting the loss of innocence in modern society.
• After reading the news, he was overcome by a sense of weltschmerz, feeling powerless against global injustices.
• Her weltschmerz was not a personal depression, but a philosophical sorrow for all of humanity.

Advanced Usage

• As a state of mind: The term can describe a persistent, almost existential mood.
  • A pervasive weltschmerz characterized the artistic movement of the late Romantic period.

Variants and Related Words

• Weltschmerz is a loanword from German and does not have standard English variants. It is typically used in its original form and is often italicized in writing ().

Synonyms

• World-weariness: Tiredness or boredom with life and the world.
• Melancholy: A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.
• Pessimism: A tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen.
• Angst: A feeling of deep anxiety or dread, typically about the human condition or the state of the world.

Antonyms

• Optimism: Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something.
• Cheerfulness: The quality or state of being noticeably happy and optimistic.
• Joie de vivre: (French) Exuberant enjoyment of life.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Fin de siècle melancholy: A phrase describing a similar mood of pessimism and world-weariness associated with the end of a century (particularly the 19th).
  • The novel captures the fin de siècle melancholy that parallels the concept of weltschmerz.

Noun

1. sadness on thinking about the evils of the world