English vocabulary · B2
Malaise
/məˈleɪz/ · n.
It means a feeling of being unwell without a clear reason.
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Example sentences
- A wave of malaise kept her in bed all morning.
- The whole team felt a deep malaise after the project failed.
Word origin and roots
from Old French
- mal — bad (from Old French)
- aise — ease (from Old French)
Synonyms and nuances
- unease (something feels subtly wrong or off)
- lethargy (energy and motivation have drained away)
- gloom (a heavy sadness colors the mood)
Words with the same root
mal — bad
- malice — a deliberate desire to harm others
- malignant — harmful and likely to grow worse — used of cancer or dangerous intentions
- malevolent — wishing harm upon others
Lesson notes
Malaise. It means a feeling of being unwell without a clear reason. You feel tired, empty, and low, but you cannot say exactly why.
Similar words are unease, lethargy, and gloom. Use malaise when the bad feeling has no clear cause.
A wave of malaise kept her in bed all morning. The whole team felt a deep malaise after the project failed.
From Old French. Mal means bad. Aise means ease. Bad ease — that unclear, heavy feeling — that is malaise.