Irrition

a close up of a dandelion

Irrition

n.
regret at having cracked the code of something, which leaves you wishing you could forget the pattern—longing to unsee an optical illusion, to unlearn the formula behind your favorite songs and shows and movies, or re-canonize a role model you made the mistake of meeting in person.

Tahitian iriti, to translate + iriti, to be convulsed. Pronounced “ih-ri-shun.”

Wollah

a person with shapes raining on them

Ellipsism

a hand clawing at a wall

Nodrophobia

close-up of a stained shirt

Craxis

a tall house of cards

Tornomov

a cloudy sky and landscape

Eftless

a person with hands pressed on a window

Kadot

a person looking at an abstract spiral

Beloiter

a person sitting at a slot machine

Aoyaoia

a person holding a guitar

Karanoia

a neat stack of white paper

Nilous

a person standing at a bus terminal

Arroia

people standing on a stage

Ecsis

a hand holding a fossil

Hem-Jawed

an abstract image of someone touching their face

Dystoria

close up of water drops on a window

Rialtoscuro

a blurry image of a light source

Suerza

a tunnel with a light emanating from the end

Moriturism

a person resting in the back seat of a car

Heartworm

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

Sitheless

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

Fata Organa

Cover image for the Fata Organa word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Nyctous

a person walking in the middle of a street

Lap Year

several people racing bicycles uphill in a forest

Anthrodynia

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

Vellichor

shelves with many books stacked and organized

Tillid

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

Nowlings

a pile of black and white puzzle pieces