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malaise

malaise

21 8.1
A general feeling of being unwell, uncomfortable, or lacking energy, often without a clear reason
  • noun
  • /məˈleɪz/
translation icon : malestar
  • After weeks of feeling tired and depressed, she finally admitted that she was experiencing a profound sense of malaise.
  • general malaise
  • economic malaise
  • social malaise

And that speaks to a malaise about our society in general.

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Examples

  • In this country and abroad, there is a sense of malaise, if not crisis, about the state of foreign-language education.

    Academic text (2008)
  • I thought it was just malaise from hanging around the house so much.

  • And that speaks to a malaise about our society in general.

  • The nation seemed to be caught up in some kind of malaise.

  • A youth experiences symptoms and reports her malaise to her parents.

    Academic text (2000)
  • His simple message proclaimed that the malaise was gone: "America is back."

    Academic text (1993)
  • A fundamental determinant of the malaise of our society.

  • Lately, and for no clear reason, a bitter malaise has been lurking in my soul.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • A popular perception is that a malaise has set in among lawyers, creating widespread dissatisfaction and image problems.

    Academic text (1994)
  • The story of maize in 1993 is, for many, symptomatic of a wider malaise in the government.

    Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

discomfort
vsmalaise
119 3.2

A feeling of physical pain or mental unease

is a vague general bodily feeling often mild without a clear cause
sickness
vsmalaise
103 1.0

A time when your body is not healthy

is a vague low-level bodily feeling not necessarily diagnosed illness
unease
vsmalaise
19 4.4

A feeling of worry and not being relaxed

is more a general bodily sensation often without a specific cause
uneasiness
vsmalaise
14 3.6

A worried, uncomfortable feeling when you cannot relax

is mainly a vague bodily feeling rather than focused worry
uncomfortableness
vsmalaise
1 6.0

A feeling of being uneasy or awkward

is a general low-level physical feeling often without clear cause
disquietude
vsmalaise
1 9.7

A feeling of worry that makes you restless and uneasy

is less intense and more bodily than this anxious restlessness
unwellness
vsmalaise
8.1

A time when a person feels sick or has health problems

is a milder vaguer bodily feeling often not a clear illness

Antonyms

190 1.0

A feeling of physical ease and being free from pain

178 2.4

A state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy

How Unwell

illness
693 1.1
malaise
21 8.1
discomfort
119 3.2

Surface Forms

malaise singular
malaise plural

Etymology

Malaise comes from French parts mal 'bad' and aise 'ease', the same idea as English ease but with 'bad' added. So malaise literally means 'bad ease' and is used for a general feeling of discomfort or unease.