malaise

noun

mal·​aise mə-ˈlāz 

ma-,

-ˈlez 

1

: an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness

An infected person will feel a general malaise.

2

: a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being

a malaise of cynicism and despair

—Malcolm Boyd

Did you know?

A recipe: combine a handful of the blahs, a pinch of the blues, and maybe a soupçon of ennui, season generously with “under the weather,” and voila, you’ve got yourself the stew of sinking sensations known as malaise. Malaise, whose Old French ancestor was formed from the combination of mal (“bad”) and aise (“comfort”), has been a part of English since the mid-18th century. It originally referred to a vague feeling of weakness or discomfort accompanying the onset of an illness—a meaning still in use today when a virus or other malady starts producing symptoms—but has since broadened to cover a general, ominous sense of mental or moral ill-being.

Examples of malaise in a Sentence

The symptoms include headache, malaise, and fatigue.

An infected person will feel a general malaise.

The country's current economic problems are symptoms of a deeper malaise.

Recent Examples on the Web

Even so, some observers have warned that the new round of Trump tariffs could seed a similar round of global economic malaise. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025

No signs of this fan mobilisation made it inside Stamford Bridge but markers of the malaise that is threatening to derail Chelsea’s season were not hard to find. —Liam Twomey, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025

Americans are overcome with an unshakable sense of economic malaise. —Matthew J. Slaughter, Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, economic malaise is hurting spending by tourists from mainland China, who make up the majority of visitors to the financial hub. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Asia, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French malaise, from Old French, from mal- + aise comfort — more at ease

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for malaise

• ablaze
• airways
• allays
• always
• amaze
• anglaise
• appraise
• archways
• arrays
• ashtrays
• assays
• ballets

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Kids Definition

malaise

noun

mal·​aise mə-ˈlāz  ma- 

-ˈlez

: a hazy feeling of not being well

Medical Definition

malaise

noun

mal·​aise mə-ˈlāz  ma- 

-ˈlez

: an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness

fever, malaise, and other flu-like symptoms

—Larry Thompson