katzenjammer

[ kat-suhn-jam-er ]

/ ˈkæt sənˌdʒæm ər /

Save This Word!

noun

the discomfort and illness experienced as the aftereffects of excessive drinking; hangover.

uneasiness; anguish; distress.

uproar; clamor: His speech produced a public katzenjammer.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of katzenjammer

From German: “hangover,” literally, “wailing of cats,” equivalent to Katzen (plural of Katze cat) + Jammer “discomfort,” Old High German jāmar (noun and adjective) “misery; sad”; cf. yammer;def. 1 was first recorded in 1840–50; and defs. 2 and 3 in 1895–1900

Words nearby katzenjammer

Katsina, Kattegat, Katy, katydid, Katz, katzenjammer, Kauai, kauch, Kauffmann, Kaufman, Kaukauna

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use katzenjammer in a sentence

This battle between them is just like three Katzenjammer Kids.
‘The Good Wife’: Robert and Michelle King on Alicia, Kalinda, Renewal Prospects, and More|Jace Lacob|March 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
"I am ashamed to say the Katzenjammer Kids in the comic supplement put it in my head," blushed Annie.
Back at School with the Tucker Twins|Nell Speed
In a German work on pharmacy I find that it is recommended in catarrh of the stomach and for "Katzenjammer."
Birds and all Nature, Vol. V, No. 2, February 1899|Various
Next day they suffer from Katzenjammer, but feel that they are upholding ancient tradition.
Home Life in Germany|Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick

Still, I continued as of old, and thought nothing of it except as the regular katzenjammer—to be expected.
Cutting It out|Samuel G. Blythe
Also, the normal state of Melancholy is such that even a case of Katzenjammer merely blends in with the surrounding Drabness.
Ade's Fables|George Ade

British Dictionary definitions for katzenjammer

katzenjammer

/ (ˈkætsənˌdʒæmə) /

noun mainly US

a confused uproar

a hangover

Word Origin for katzenjammer

German, literally: hangover, from Katzen cats + jammer misery, wailing

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012