Weltschmerz
/ˈvɛltˌʃmɛːts/
"weltschmerz" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Weltschmerz” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An apathetic or pessimistic view of life; depression concerning or discomfort with the human condition or state of the world; mal du siècle, world-weariness.
Corpus desk
Index EN-weltschmerz · Weltschmerz · English
Weltschmerz · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 11 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "W" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Weltschmerz |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈvɛltˌʃmɛːts/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “Weltschmerz” in English
Rare enough to double-check
Weltschmerz is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈvɛltˌʃmɛːts/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An apathetic or pessimistic view of life; depression concerning or discomfort with the human condition or state of the world; mal du siècle, world-weariness.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for Weltschmerz in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Weltschmerz, from Welt (“world”) + Schmerz (“physical ache, pain; emotional pain, heartache, sorrow”). The German word was coined by the author Jean Paul (1763–1825) in his novel Selina (posthumously published in 1827). The correct English form is Weltschmerz, spelled W-E-L-T-S-C-H-M-E-R-Z.
Definition
- 1An apathetic or pessimistic view of life; depression concerning or discomfort with the human condition or state of the world; mal du siècle, world-weariness.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how Weltschmerz appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
And in this respect [Ludwig] Uhland presents a marked and useful contrast to the lackadaisical, sentimental, Weltschmerz school, the poets of which trade on their own pretended misery, and, cunningly enough, suggest that their poems must be touching and true in proportion as the authors set themselves forth as peculiarly skilled in bitterness of heart and…
[page 118] It speaks well for the general healthiness of the English nation that we have no words corresponding to ‘Weltschmerz’ or ‘Ennui’. The ordinary Englishman experiences neither of these things. […] [page 119] Weltschmerz is a species of disease, a sort of spiritual measles—or to give a more technical diagnosis, it is the revolt of a young soul aga…
Etymology
Borrowed from German Weltschmerz, from Welt (“world”) + Schmerz (“physical ache, pain; emotional pain, heartache, sorrow”). The German word was coined by the author Jean Paul (1763–1825) in his novel Selina (posthumously published in 1827).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.