The definitions of feelings that are not so easy to understand….
Sonder (noun) is the profound, sudden realization that every random passerby is living a life as vivid, complex, and chaotic as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, and worries. Coined by John Koenig in 2012, it highlights that you are merely an extra in the background of others' stories.
Monachopsis is the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place, misaligned, or not belonging, even in familiar surroundings, often described as feeling like a "seal on a beach". Coined by John Koenig, it describes a quiet, lingering discomfort or social alienation, rather than acute grief.
Hiraeth (pronounced heer-eyeth) is a Welsh word with no direct English translation, describing a profound, bittersweet longing, nostalgia, or "homesickness" for a home, place, or time that no longer exists or perhaps never was. It combines grief for the lost past with a deep yearning for a sense of belonging, often associated with a spiritual connection to Wales.
"Vellichor" is a neologism that describes the wistful, melancholic nostalgia and quiet reverence felt when browsing a used bookstore. It evokes the scent of old paper and yellowed pages, the silence between the books, and the awareness that each book has a past life and meaning to someone. The word was coined by John Koenig and popularized by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Limerence is an involuntary, intense state of romantic infatuation or obsession with another person (the "limerent object"). Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in 1979, it is characterized by obsessive thoughts, emotional dependency, and a deep longing for reciprocation. Unlike healthy love, it often involves extreme highs and lows, anxiety, and intrusive fantasies.
Anemoia is a neologism coined by John Koenig for The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows that defines the profound, bittersweet nostalgia for a time or place one has never actually experienced. It is commonly used to describe longing for past eras, such as the 1920s or 1980s, driven by media, aesthetics, or a sense of dissatisfaction with the present.
Kenopsia The Eerie Feeling of an Empty Space That's Normally ...Kenopsia is the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with life but is now abandoned and quiet, such as a school hallway at night or a vacant fairground. It is an "emotional afterimage" of a place that feels unnervingly empty, often evoking a sense of nostalgia or quiet melancholy.
Onism Onism is a coined term that describes the sense of frustration or sadness at being limited to only one body, in one place, and experiencing only a tiny fraction of the vast world. It is not a traditional dictionary word but was created by John Koenig for his project The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to give a name to a specific, poetic human feeling. The feeling can arise when one is confronted with the sheer abundance of possibilities in the world, such as looking at a departure board at an airport and realizing all the places one will never visit.
Chrysalism Chrysalism is the amniotic tranquility, comfort, and peace of being safely indoors during a thunderstorm or heavy rain. Coined by John Koenig for The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, it highlights the contrast between chaotic external nature and inner warmth.
Ochiolism Occhiolism is the unsettling or humbling realization of how small, limited, and subjective one's own perspective is in the vastness of the world. It represents the awareness that we can only experience a tiny fraction of reality, leading to a sense of insignificance or a need to embrace other viewpoints.
Mauerbauertraurigkeit Mauerbauertraurigkeit is a (rare) German neologism word that describes the inexplicable urge to push people - even close friends - away from themselves. It describes a deep, incomprehensible sadness in which one metaphorically erects a wall around oneself ('wall builder') to isolate oneself. It’s the inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends whose company you generally enjoy—like a poker player who keeps folding a promising hand in order to avoid the pain of losing, or tamp down the urge to go all-in.
Monachopsis is the subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place, misaligned, or not belonging, even in familiar surroundings, often described as feeling like a "seal on a beach". Coined by John Koenig, it describes a quiet, lingering discomfort or social alienation, rather than acute grief.
Hiraeth (pronounced heer-eyeth) is a Welsh word with no direct English translation, describing a profound, bittersweet longing, nostalgia, or "homesickness" for a home, place, or time that no longer exists or perhaps never was. It combines grief for the lost past with a deep yearning for a sense of belonging, often associated with a spiritual connection to Wales.
"Vellichor" is a neologism that describes the wistful, melancholic nostalgia and quiet reverence felt when browsing a used bookstore. It evokes the scent of old paper and yellowed pages, the silence between the books, and the awareness that each book has a past life and meaning to someone. The word was coined by John Koenig and popularized by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
Limerence is an involuntary, intense state of romantic infatuation or obsession with another person (the "limerent object"). Coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov in 1979, it is characterized by obsessive thoughts, emotional dependency, and a deep longing for reciprocation. Unlike healthy love, it often involves extreme highs and lows, anxiety, and intrusive fantasies.
Anemoia is a neologism coined by John Koenig for The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows that defines the profound, bittersweet nostalgia for a time or place one has never actually experienced. It is commonly used to describe longing for past eras, such as the 1920s or 1980s, driven by media, aesthetics, or a sense of dissatisfaction with the present.
Kenopsia The Eerie Feeling of an Empty Space That's Normally ...Kenopsia is the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with life but is now abandoned and quiet, such as a school hallway at night or a vacant fairground. It is an "emotional afterimage" of a place that feels unnervingly empty, often evoking a sense of nostalgia or quiet melancholy.
Onism Onism is a coined term that describes the sense of frustration or sadness at being limited to only one body, in one place, and experiencing only a tiny fraction of the vast world. It is not a traditional dictionary word but was created by John Koenig for his project The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to give a name to a specific, poetic human feeling. The feeling can arise when one is confronted with the sheer abundance of possibilities in the world, such as looking at a departure board at an airport and realizing all the places one will never visit.
Chrysalism Chrysalism is the amniotic tranquility, comfort, and peace of being safely indoors during a thunderstorm or heavy rain. Coined by John Koenig for The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, it highlights the contrast between chaotic external nature and inner warmth.
Ochiolism Occhiolism is the unsettling or humbling realization of how small, limited, and subjective one's own perspective is in the vastness of the world. It represents the awareness that we can only experience a tiny fraction of reality, leading to a sense of insignificance or a need to embrace other viewpoints.
Mauerbauertraurigkeit Mauerbauertraurigkeit is a (rare) German neologism word that describes the inexplicable urge to push people - even close friends - away from themselves. It describes a deep, incomprehensible sadness in which one metaphorically erects a wall around oneself ('wall builder') to isolate oneself. It’s the inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends whose company you generally enjoy—like a poker player who keeps folding a promising hand in order to avoid the pain of losing, or tamp down the urge to go all-in.
46-50, F
