Nachlophobia

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

Nachlophobia

n.
the fear that your deepest connections with people are ultimately pretty shallow, that although your relationships feel congenial in the moment, an audit of your life would reveal a smattering of low-interest holdings and uninvested windfall profits, which will indicate you were never really at risk of joy, sacrifice, or loss.

Greek αναχλός (anachlós), loosely held together + -φοβία (-phobía), fear. May also appear as apomakrysmenophobia. Pronounced “nok-luh-foh-bee-uh.”

The Unsharp Mask

a mirror with a reflection of a person

Fata Organa

Cover image for the Fata Organa word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Wollah

a person with shapes raining on them

Aftersome

rows of opaque and clear marbles

Lilo

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

Flashover

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