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noun

malaise

muh-LAYZ

Malaise (noun) means a vague feeling of physical discomfort or unease, often an early sign of illness. Example: “She woke up with a mild malaise and a slight fever.”

noun
1
A vague feeling of physical discomfort or unease, often an early sign of illness.
"She woke up with a mild malaise and a slight fever."
2
A general sense of unease, dissatisfaction, or low morale in a group or society.
"A deep economic malaise settled over the country during the recession."
"There was a sense of malaise among staff after the layoffs were announced."

How to Use Malaise

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA vague sense that something is wrong, whether it is your body feeling off or a whole society feeling down.

Common pairings
a general malaise economic malaise a sense of malaise

Word Forms

malaises plural

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She woke up with a mild _____ and a slight fever.

Etymology

From French malaise, literally "ill ease" — mal- ("bad") plus aise ("ease").

Origin: French

Related Words

Rhymes for malaise

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does “malaise” mean?

The word “malaise” means a vague feeling of physical discomfort or unease, often an early sign of illness. In plain terms, a vague sense that something is wrong, whether it is your body feeling off or a whole society feeling down.

How do you pronounce “malaise”?

“Malaise” is pronounced muh-LAYZ (/məˈleɪz/ in IPA).

How do you use “malaise” in a sentence?

Here is “malaise” used in a sentence: “She woke up with a mild malaise and a slight fever.”

What part of speech is “malaise”?

“Malaise” is a noun.

Where does the word “malaise” come from?

The word “malaise” comes from French. From French malaise, literally "ill ease" — mal- ("bad") plus aise ("ease").

How many meanings does “malaise” have?

“Malaise” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a vague feeling of physical discomfort or unease, often an early sign of illness.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial