Proluctance

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

Proluctance

n.
the paradoxical urge to avoid doing something you’ve been looking forward to—opening a decisive letter, meeting up with a friend who’s finally back in town, reading a new book from your favorite author—perpetually waiting around for the right state of mind, stretching out the bliss of anticipation as long as you can.

Latin pro-, forward + reluctans, resisting. Pronounced “proh-luhk-tuhns.”

Mimeomia

a person wearing an animal onesie garment

Evertheless

a person floating in water

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Aulasy

a blurry image of a house on the road

Mal De Coucou

a blurry image of several men

Keep

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