Spleen

Meaning: A deep, existential ennui — a heavy, formless sadness and disgust with the world and oneself that no distraction can lift.

Language: French

Literally: spleen / melancholy

Category: Emotion

Origin: French; immortalised by Charles Baudelaire in Les Fleurs du Mal (1857); darker than simple boredom.

More untranslatable words — Emotion

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Kilig — The butterflies-and-shivers feeling of romantic excitement — the giddiness triggered by a…
Tampo — Pulling back your warmth and affection when you've been hurt — going quiet and distant, h…
Avos' — A blind, hopeful trust that things will somehow work out on their own — leaving the outco…
Saudade — A deep, nostalgic yearning for someone or something absent — tinged with the bittersweet…

Ressourcement — The act of returning to one's roots or origins to find renewal — going back to a place, t…
Dépaysement — The disorienting yet often pleasant feeling of being far from home, immersed in the unfam…
Flâner — To wander a city slowly and aimlessly, savouring it with no destination in mind — the art…
Retrouvailles — The joy of reuniting with someone after a long time apart.
L'esprit de l'escalier — Thinking of the perfect comeback only after the moment has passed — on your way down the…
Terroir — The unique character that a place — its soil, climate and tradition — gives to a wine or…

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