malaise
Americannoun
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a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease.
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a vague or unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness, lethargy, or discomfort.
noun
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a feeling of unease or depression
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a mild sickness, not symptomatic of any disease or ailment
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a complex of problems affecting a country, economy, etc
Bulgaria's economic malaise
Etymology
Origin of malaise
First recorded in 1760–70; from French, Old French, equivalent to mal- + ease
Explanation
If you are experiencing malaise, chances are you are feeling blue or looking green. Malaise is a slump; you're not feeling your best — either mentally or physically. Mal is French for "bad," and aise means "ease." When experiencing malaise, ease yourself down on the couch to recover. Malaise is frequently used figuratively to describe slumps that other things go through as well. The 20-year economic malaise in Japan is one example, but you'll also hear of educational malaise, political malaise, and even "a general malaise." Wherever you turn, there's malaise.
Vocabulary lists containing malaise
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Friday malaise may also reflect concerns over whether the Clarity Act will pass this year, according to Clear Street analyst Owen Lau.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Agilysys was a rare bright spot as investor malaise weighed on the market Tuesday.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
Tryl says it's part of a "wider malaise" that may seem minor or cosmetic, but "chips away" at Britons' perceptions of their local area, making them feel their communities are "neglected or forgotten".
From BBC • May 2, 2026
The good vibes mark a stark reversal from the malaise that dragged shares lower after fighting began at the end of February.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
“She just got back,” the doorman tells Gogol with a wink as he walks past, and his heart leaps, unburdened of its malaise, grateful for her simple act of returning to him.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
