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wabi

wabi

1 9.9
A quiet feeling of lonely sadness
  • noun
  • /ˈwɑːbi/
  • Specialized
: wabi
  • She sat in silence, experiencing a gentle wabi as she watched the rain fall.

Examples

  • The poem captures the sense of wabi that comes with autumn's fading light.

  • She felt a deep sense of wabi while walking alone in the forest.

  • After the war he felt a deep wabi, an empty loneliness that never fully left him.

  • The artist captures the essence of wabi in her paintings.

  • After the war, he felt a deep wabi, a quiet melancholy that seemed to linger in every moment.

  • The poem captures the profound sense of wabi that envelops one during the quiet of autumn evenings.

  • As she watched the rain fall outside, she was overcome by a gentle wabi, feeling both lonely and reflective.

Synonyms

loneliness
vswabi
125 2.3

A sad feeling when you are alone and feel separate from others

is a quieter more desolate feeling beyond the simple state of being alone
gloom
vswabi
49 3.2

A feeling of sadness and low spirits

is a quieter personal feeling rather than an overall dark atmosphere
melancholy
vswabi
27 4.9

A deep, long-lasting feeling of sadness

is a quieter solitary feeling rather than intense long-term gloom
lonesome
vswabi
14 3.9

A feeling of sadness because you are alone

is quieter and more like gentle melancholy than mere sadness from being alone
desolation
vswabi
8 7.6

A feeling of deep sadness and emptiness after being left alone

is more about quiet loneliness and melancholy than only abandonment
world-weariness
vswabi
  • Literature
1 9.1

Sadness and loss of hope because of the bad things in the world

is a quieter inner loneliness not necessarily tied to worldly concerns
Weltschmerz
vswabi
1 9.9

A deep sadness about the suffering and unfairness in the world

is a quiet personal loneliness rather than sadness about the world's evils
glumness
vswabi
1 6.6

A quiet feeling of sadness and low spirits

is more solitary and softly melancholic rather than general low mood

Antonyms

joy
105 1.0

A person or thing that brings happiness to others

26 2.1

A feeling of being happy and satisfied with your life

How Melancholic

despair
187 3.5
desolation
8 7.6
sorrow
226 2.1
wabi
  • Specialized
1 9.9
melancholy
32 5.9
sadness
228 1.0

Surface Forms

wabi singular
wabis plural

Etymology

Wabi originally meant a feeling of loneliness or quiet sadness in Japanese, like the empty calm of an old house at dusk. Over time that gentle solitude became a kind of beauty, so wabi can also mean a quiet, melancholy charm.