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weltschmerz

[velt-shmerts] Origin

Welt·schmerz

[velt-shmerts]
noun German.
sorrow that one feels and accepts as one's necessary portion in life; sentimental pessimism.
Also, welt·schmerz.


Origin:
literally, world-pain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Weltschmerz is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Weltschmerz (ˈvɛltʃmɛrts)
 
n
sadness or melancholy at the evils of the world; world-weariness
 
[literally: world pain]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

weltschmerz
"pessimism about life," 1875, from Ger. Weltschmerz, coined 1810 by Jean Paul Richter, from Welt "world" + Schmerz "pain." Popularized in Ger. by Heine.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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