Words For Emotions You’ve Felt But Couldn’t Label
Have you ever felt a certain way about someone, but you couldn't quite explain it? Well, that's because we feel more than we can articulate, and that can get frustrating.
Writer John Koenig created the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows to help people identify these emotions. Now, you'll know what the proper vocabulary is whenever you see your crush or when you're stumped in general.
"Heartworm"
Heartworm is when you can't get a relationship or friendship out of your head, no matter how long ago it was. Even if you think it faded, it's still alive and probably unfinished.
"Xeno"
A Xeno is the smallest amount of human connection. An example might be passing a stranger on the streets, and you two have flirtatious glances or even a sympathetic nod. These moments are fleeting.
"Ecstatic Shock"
You know that feeling when you get a surge of energy after glancing at someone you like? You can call that ecstatic shock, and it starts in your stomach, goes up your lungs, and transforms into a sudden smile.
"Jouska"
I'm pretty sure everyone old enough to think for themselves has experienced jouska. It's when you play out a hypothetical conversation in your head, complete with full analysis, cathartic dialogue, and a comeback.
"Kenopsia"
When an atmosphere that usually bubbles with life becomes eerie generally because it's now quiet and abandoned, you call kenopsia. Think of a hallway, an unlit office on the weekend, or even empty fairgrounds.
"Avenoir"
This one cuts deep. Avenoir is the hope that memory could flow backward. In reality, we see our memories as they leave the present and turn into past events, but what if we could see the future first?
"Semaphorism"
Have you ever been in a conversation and had something else to say, but you held back and only hinted at what you really wanted to say? That's what you call semaphorism.
"Mimeomia"
Have you ever felt trapped by a stereotype or had a bubbling frustration over how easily you fit into one? Never fear, that's what you call mimeomia. People often fall into patterns because it's easier than asserting their individuality, and mimeomia is the anxiety that results.
"Hanker Sore"
Not to get confused for cranker sore, but hanker sore is when you find someone so attractive, it makes you upset. That's possible for some people who value looks, and it's probably pretty standard.
"Chrysalism"
How do thunderstorms make you feel? Chrysalism is the tranquility you feel while being indoors during such a storm. Listening to rain patterns against your roof is music to your ears.
"Altschmerz"
When you keep the same issues you've always had, including the boring flaws and anxieties, that's what you call altschmerz. You have nothing interesting left to think about besides these troubles.
"Ambedo"
"Ambedo" is a special word. It's a trance that feels melancholic when you become entrenched in vivid sensory details, such as raindrops falling down the window or a beautiful sunset.
"Liberosis"
In this millennial life we live, liberosis is probably the most fitting. It's when you have a desire to care less about things and let things come as they do.
"Rückkehrunruhe"
I know it looks and sounds like a strange word, but it has its purpose. Rückkehrunruhe is when you get home after traveling only to realize that the experience fades from your awareness. That's when you have to keep reminding yourself about it.
"Nighthawk"
Nighthawk is a thought that comes back often, but only at night. It could be guilt, a task, or even shapeless thoughts about the future. It's almost like a ghost waiting outside your window waiting for the moment to strike your thoughts.
"Adronitis"
People who try and date someone new will appreciate this word. Adronitis is frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone. You wish you could know them already, but it doesn't work that way.
"Silience"
Silience is the unnoticed excellence that takes place around your life, such as the great talents of coworkers and friends. It also could be the unseen portfolios of aspiring artists.
"Keyframe"
Keyframe is a moment that didn't seem big, but it defiantly was. It's that moment that marked the split of your life into a new era. When this happens, you can't rewind and the transition is seamless.
"Gnossienne"
Gnossienne is having the awareness that someone you've known for a very long time still has a private side to their life. Unfortunately, neither of you knows where you stand with it, so that door remains closed.
"Catoptric Tristesse"
You probably hate to admit it, but you've experienced this. Catoptric tristesse is the sadness that you'll never know how people really feel about you, be it good or bad.
