Holiette

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

Holiette

n.
a place that seems to hold profound significance to everyone else but you—the sacred temple of some other faith, a random fence post festooned with flowers, a crowd cheering for a team you’ve never heard of—which leaves you trying to coax yourself into feeling something anyway, like inserting your house key into a random lock just to feel if something clicks.

From holy, sacred or religiously revered + -ette, denoting an imitation of the real thing. Pronounced “hoh-lee-et.”

Altschmerz

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

Backmasking

a woman's face with a double exposure

Tarrion

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

Vellichor

shelves with many books stacked and organized

Feresy

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

Karanoia

a neat stack of white paper