The Unsharp Mask

a mirror with a reflection of a person

The Unsharp Mask

n.
the tendency for social networks to magnify unexpected personality traits of people you know, a consequence of compressing someone’s raw persona into a low-res digital format, which can randomly brighten their outer glow, sharpen their comic edges, darken their shadows, or add motion blur to a stationary life.

In digital photo processing, unsharp mask is a filter that combines the original negative with a blurred positive image. The resulting image may look sharper but is actually a less accurate interpretation of the subject.

Wenbane

a person standing on a ledge looking at a city skyline

Hobsmacked

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

Star-Stuck

a man walking towards a door with a large question mark

Burn Upon Reentry

Cover image for the Burn Upon Reentry word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Covalent Bond

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

Pâro

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

Nullness

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

Xeno

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

Eigenschauung

Eigen-schauung

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

Latigo

aerial view of a city at night

Scrough

a person working on the sidewalk

Ameneurosis

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

Fellchaser

a blurred shadow of a person in a dark room

Fitching

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

Kadot

a person looking at an abstract spiral

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Furosha

a storm raging in the sky over a building

Boorance

a group of objects on a table

Lackout

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

Mogging Folly

a person sitting on a bench