404//MEANINGSSYS.ONLINE

:: COMPARE ::

WeltschmerzvsMal du siècle

The short answer

The French cousin, the Byronic malaise of the same generation. Mal du siècle is generational and historical — the sickness of an age. Weltschmerz is metaphysical and personal, and would still hurt in a better century.

Side by side

AspectWeltschmerzMal du siècle
ScopeMetaphysicalGenerational
CauseThe gap itselfThis particular era
Curable byNothingA better century
Self implicatedYesLess so

Which one you meant

Readers who land here meaning Weltschmerz rather than Mal du siècle are usually searching for phrases like “sad about the state of the world word”, “weltschmerz meaning”, “who coined weltschmerz”.

Weltschmerz

  • sad about the state of the world word
  • weltschmerz meaning
  • who coined weltschmerz
  • world weariness german

Read either one in full