existential-unease
/ˌeɡ.zɪˌsten.ʃəl ʌnˈiːz/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A feeling of deep worry about life, meaning, or your place in the world. It is more serious and philosophical than ordinary stress or nervousness.
- She felt existential unease after losing her job.
- The film captures his quiet existential unease.
- Many young adults feel existential unease sometimes.
Adinary Nuance
Existential unease is stronger and deeper than stress, worry, or anxiety. Stress is usually about pressure from work, money, or daily life. Existential unease is about bigger questions, like purpose, identity, and meaning. Writers use it when the feeling is emotional and philosophical, not just practical.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- bất an hiện sinh
- Spanish
- inquietud existencial
- Chinese
- 存在性不安
- Japanese
- 実存的不安
- Korean
- 실존적 불안
Etymology
Formed from existential, from late Latin existentialis, and unease, from English use of uneasy. The phrase became common in modern writing about anxiety, identity, and meaning.
Common phrases
feel existential uneasedeep existential uneasea sense of existential unease
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is existential unease a formal phrase?
- Yes, it is mostly used in formal writing, essays, and discussion about ideas.
- How is existential unease different from anxiety?
- Anxiety can be about many things. Existential unease is about meaning, purpose, or existence.
- Can I use existential unease in daily conversation?
- You can, but it may sound literary or serious in everyday speech.
- Is existential unease common in IELTS writing?
- It can be useful in high-level writing, especially for topics about society or mental health.