What does malaise mean?
Malaise is a noun for an unsettled or vaguely uncomfortable feeling, either in an individual or across a community. When used of a person, it can suggest a general lack of physical or emotional well-being without identifying a specific illness. In political and social contexts, it describes a diffuse sense that something is wrong or unsatisfactory, such as anxiety, frustration, or dissatisfaction within a wider population. The word is especially common in journalism and formal public discussion, where phrases such as “social malaise” and “economic malaise” convey an underlying mood or condition. Unlike a precise medical term, malaise emphasizes uncertainty and vagueness, making it useful for describing discomfort whose cause or nature has not yet been clearly established.
nounA vague feeling of uneasiness, discomfort, or lack of physical and emotional well-being. The term can also describe a widespread sense of social, political, or economic dissatisfaction.
- A vague feeling of physical discomfort or uneasiness, often without a specific cause.
- A widespread feeling of social, political, or economic dissatisfaction or uncertainty.
"A growing sense of malaise among voters continued to affect the mood in parliament."
"She experienced a mild malaise after the long journey and rested for an hour."
"The economic malaise in the region has weakened confidence in local businesses."
Plural is used for separate instances or kinds of malaise, especially when referring to several communities, periods, or forms of unease.
"The country has experienced several economic malaises since the financial crisis."
Malaise captures the uneasy feeling of a society that is not quite able to explain what is wrong.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does malaise come from?
The word comes from French malaise, literally “bad ease,” formed from mal-, meaning “bad,” and aise, meaning “ease” or “comfort.” It entered English in the late eighteenth century, initially referring to a vague feeling of illness or discomfort and later extending to broader social and political unease. Its underlying sense of “bad” is related to the Latin root mal-, also found in words such as malfunction and malevolent.
How malaise is actually used
Usually formal or semi-formal. It is often used in discussions of a person's health, emotional state, or the general condition of a society; when referring to illness, it is deliberately nonspecific.
Easily confused with malaise
A malady is a disease or illness, whereas malaise is a vague feeling of uneasiness or widespread social dissatisfaction.
An ailment is a minor medical condition, while malaise is broader and may refer to an undefined sense of discomfort or discontent.