Justing

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

Justing

n.
the habit of telling yourself that just one tweak could solve all of your problems—if only you had the right haircut, if only you found the right group of friends, if only you made a little more money, if only he noticed you, if only she loved you back, if only you could find the time, if only you were confident—which leaves you feeling perpetually on the cusp of a better life, hanging around the top of the slide waiting for one little push.

From just, only, simply, merely + jousting, a sport won by positioning the tip of your lance at just the right spot, at just the right second. Pronounced “juhst-ing.”

Hailbound

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

Foilsick

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

Elosy

a blurry image of a person in a subway car

Emorries

a magnifying glass over photos and books

Fitching

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

Aponemia

a group of people standing together