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
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.
It causes symptoms such as extreme fatigue and post-exertional malaise, which means that simple physical or mental activities can leave people completely debilitated.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Often, the design’s playfulness obscures the protagonist’s malaise.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Can Europe seize the moment and actually get a grip with some of the deep-seated problems that are behind the economic malaise?
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
A study published in January in the journal Economics Letters links consumer malaise in large part to the high cost of housing — which the Consumer Price Index undercounts.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026
Fronted by a lush lawn and palm trees, the Union Passenger Terminal had opened in 1954, an art deco-style building once aspiring to grandness but since overtaken by a certain grey municipal malaise.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
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.
