Word to the wise: life is about so much more than the pursuit of happiness.

In fact, as emotions go, ‘happy’ is a pretty nebulous one. It’s a broad stroke when what you actually seek is an individual strand of happiness – something closer to contentment, awe or excitement.

Psychologists say homing in on these specific emotions is important.

‘There are studies on the value of developing “emotional granularity”, in which people can be taught to identify and label their feelings with greater specificity and nuance,’ says positive psychology lecturer Dr Tim Lomas.

‘That means recognising different varieties of positive emotion, rather than just using generic terms such as “happiness” or “wellbeing”.’

It was to that end that Dr Lomas created The Positive Lexicography Project – a compendium of words that succinctly capture nuanced emotions.

Understanding and reflecting upon them is, according to Dr Lomas, helpful in developing mindfulness – doubly important when you’re an overworked, stressed and go through several thousand emotions just getting to the end of the working day.

We combed through his intercontinental library of untranslatable emotions to find the feels most relevant to our discerning BALANCE audience. Consider your emotional vocabulary broadened.

1. Eleutheromania

Greek; noun – An intense, irrepressible desire for freedom. Felt during a stroll down Oxford Street by anyone who isn’t an Italian tourist.

2. Wohlweh

German; noun – Literally well-pain; pain that is pleasurable. Like when you’re a few minutes into Warrior One and the yoga class is nearly over. No wohlweh, no gain.

3. Arbejdsglaede

Danish; noun – Literally work gladness/joy; satisfaction/pleasure derived from work. Possibly a myth.

4. Iktsuarpok

Inuit; noun – The anticipation you feel when waiting for someone and keep checking if they’ve arrived. Uber users, we’re looking at you.

5. Ramé

Balinese; noun – Something at once chaotic and joyful. City life in a nutshell.

6. Gaupasa

Basque; noun – Literally ‘all-nighter’; e.g. to spend the night partying and to arrive home at dawn.

7. Feierabend

German; noun – Literally ‘evening celebration’; the jolly mood that arrives at the end of a working day; can just mean the end of the working day.

8. Kenopsia

English, New Coinage; noun – The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place usually bustling with people but now abandoned and quiet—a school hallway in the evening, your work office in pandemic times…

9. Flâner

French; verb – Leisurely strolling. As noun (Flâneur): one who strolls (e.g. to experience the city).

10. Utepils

Norwegian; noun – Literally outdoor lager; a beer enjoyed outside (especially in the sunshine, as opposed to the drizzle when we weren’t allowed indoors). 

11. Hugfanginn

Icelandic; adjective – Literally ‘mind-captured’, to be charmed or fascinated by someone or something.

12. Tyvsmake

Norwegian; verb – Literally sneak, thief (Tyv) taste (Smake); to taste or eat pieces of food (e.g., when cooking); cherry-picking the best morsels (rather than to improve the meal).

13. Onsay

Boro (Indian dialect); verb – To pretend to love. You’re here now, so might as well make the most of it.

14. Tarab

Arabic; noun – Musically-induced ecstasy or enchantment. Particularly poignant when drowning out the city bustle that’s returning, with a sweet pair of noise-cancellers.

15. Meriggiare

Italian; verb – To rest at noon (in the shade). Does this also apply to hungover naps?

16. Ambedo

English, New Coinage; verb – A melancholic trance involving total absorption in vivid sensory details.

17. Herz-klopft

German; noun – Literally ‘heart-knock’; the thumping of the heart in anticipation of something good (or bad) happening.

18. Morkkis

Finnish; noun – A moral or psychological hangover; post-hoc embarrassment or shame at one’s drunken behaviour (and dread or confusion about what one might have done).

19. Weltschmerz

German; noun – World-weariness, world-hurt; causeless melancholy. Otherwise known as every Remainer’s disposition ever since the Brexit vote, even five years on.

20. Vorfreude

German; noun – Intense, joyful anticipation derived from imagining future pleasures. Aka the Friday feeling.

21. Shěnměi píláo

Chinese; noun – Aesthetically fatigued; exposure to so much beauty that one ceases to appreciate it.

22. Gluggaveður

Icelandic; noun – Literally ‘window weather.’ Weather that is pleasant to look at through a window, but unpleasant to be outside in (e.g. cold, windy).