German word of the day: Weltschmerz

Why do I need to know Weltschmerz?

Although not used often by Germans in everyday language, this word perfectly describes a complex emotion that many could be feeling right now.

What does it mean?

Der Weltschmerz, which sounds like this, literally translates to 'world pain' or 'world fatigue'. It is one of German's wonderfully literal compound nouns made up of the words die Welt (world) and der Schmerz (pain). It is used to convey when someone is tired, down or depressed with the world. 

After years of big global events such as the Covid pandemic, Russia's war on Ukraine, the Middle East conflict, political events in the United States and the rise of the far right - as well as negative long-term developments such as climate change - many could have a case of 'Weltschmerz'. 

You might also experience this emotion if you're feeling weary of your surroundings or if you're suffering from depression. Perhaps you're frustrated with your friends because they don't understand you, or you're feeling powerlessness in a situation at work. 

On an article on the word, called 'How 'Weltschmerz' arises - and how we process it', German educational magazine Geo writes: "It's as if we are feeling a kind of collective suffering.

"Recently, many people have not only felt depressed by their own worries, but are increasingly haunted by horror stories from all over the world. Overwhelm, powerlessness, frustration - the term ‘Weltschmerz’ originated more than 250 years ago, but today it is more relevant than ever."

The magazine recommends talking to friends and family about your concerns rather than pushing the feeling away. 

The word was coined by German Romantic author Jean Paul and became a popular notion amongst other Romantic writers such as Heinrich Heine and Clemens Brentano. That's why you might see it often in classic literature. 

You might find that the word is more commonly used by English-speakers in Germany than by Germans themselves. But given the current political climate, you could be hearing it more often now, or even want to use it in conversation yourself - regardless of the language you're speaking.  

Another German word that works well to describe this 'world-weary' feeling is lebensmüde, made up of the words 'life' and 'tired'. This is an adjective to describe feeling of being 'tired of life' or 'dissatisfied'. 

How to use Weltschmerz:

Bei all diesen negativen Nachrichten habe ich Weltschmerz

With all these negative news stories, I feel weary about the world.

Er hat viel um seinen Weltschmerz geschrieben.

He wrote a lot about his feelings of world fatique.

Ich kann es nicht mehr leiden. Ich leide an Weltschmerz.

I can’t put up with it any more. I’m suffering from world weariness.