Elosy

a blurry image of a person in a subway car

Elosy

n.
the fear of major life changes, even ones you’ve been anticipating for years; the dread of leaving behind the bright and ordinary world you know, stepping out into that liminal space before the next stage of life begins, like the dark and rattling void between adjoining metro cars.

Malagasy lelosy, snail, which is a creature that carries many twists and turns wherever it goes, trying in vain to outrun them. Pronounced “ehl-uh-see.”

Ecsis

a hand holding a fossil

Beloiter

a person sitting at a slot machine

Future-Tense

a person looking at their reflection

Craxis

a tall house of cards

Moriturism

a person resting in the back seat of a car

Hem-Jawed

an abstract image of someone touching their face

Aimonomia

close-up of a plant with lights glowing in background

Suerza

a tunnel with a light emanating from the end

Nilous

a person standing at a bus terminal

Elosy

a blurry image of a person in a subway car

Eftless

a person with hands pressed on a window

Aponemia

a group of people standing together

Ironsick

a group of random devices

Karanoia

a neat stack of white paper

Galagog

a person alone in a snowy desolate landscape

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Dystoria

close up of water drops on a window

Adomania

a person riding a horse

Semaphorism

Cover image for the Semaphorism word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Latigo

aerial view of a city at night

Attriage

Cover image for the Attriage word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

The Standard Blues

Cover image for the The Standard Blues word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Harke

a dreamlike image of a person's face over water

Slipfast

Cover image for the Slipfast word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Wildred

Cover image for the Wildred word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Offtides

close-up of a chromed metal object

Anechosis

Cover image for the Anechosis word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows