malaise

American  

[ma-leyz, -muh-, ma-lez] / mæˈleɪz, -mə-, maˈlɛz /

noun

1. a condition of general bodily weakness or discomfort, often marking the onset of a disease.

2. a vague or unfocused feeling of mental uneasiness, lethargy, or discomfort.

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malaise British  

/ mæˈleɪz /

noun

1. a feeling of unease or depression

2. a mild sickness, not symptomatic of any disease or ailment

3. a complex of problems affecting a country, economy, etc

   Bulgaria's economic malaise

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Etymology

Origin of malaise

First recorded in 1760–70; from French, Old French, equivalent to mal- + ease

Example Sentences

The coffee squeeze is emblematic of a broader malaise sweeping office life at American companies, which appear to be in a race to find inefficiencies and cut costs.

From The Wall Street Journal

What I most definitely had was malaise: The ring had issued a warning, but why?

From The Wall Street Journal

Industrial stocks’ External link rising star has faltered, thanks to soaring oil prices, inflation fears, and a general malaise settling over the markets amid war in the Middle East.

From Barron's

Industrial stocks’ External link rising star has faltered, thanks to soaring oil prices, inflation fears, and a general malaise settling over the markets amid war in the Middle East.

From Barron's

The crisis in the chemicals sector reflects a broader malaise in the German economy, whose growth has trailed behind other major economies.

From Barron's

Related Words

• angst
• anxiety
• despair
• discomfort
• disquiet
• doldrums
• illness
• pain
• unease
• uneasiness
• weakness