Rialtoscuro

a blurry image of a light source

Rialtoscuro

n.
the disorientation of stepping outside a movie theater into unexpected darkness—a twinge of jet lag after letting your mind escape to some other world for a while, only to be thrown abruptly back into reality.

Italian rialto, a theater district + oscuro, dark, obscure. Compare chiaroscuro, which describes a quality of visual art that emphasizes the contrast between deep shade and bright light. Pronounced “ree-al-toh-skyoor-oh.”

Ellipsism

a hand clawing at a wall

Knellish

a blurry image of a person lying on a bed

Rialtoscuro

a blurry image of a light source

Rookish

a stone tower with a person seated on top

Ironsick

a group of random devices

Falesia

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

Waldosia

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

Anecdoche

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Rubatosis

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Fitzcarraldo

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Zysia

a kite soaring above an empty landscape

Povism

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Covalent Bond

Cover image for the Covalent Bond word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows