According to Nobel Prize-winning author Jose Saramago, “Human vocabulary is still not capable, and probably never will be, of knowing, recognizing, and communicating everything that can be humanly experienced and felt.” That’s why John Koenig’s The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows website and YouTube channel are so intriguing. In his work, Koenig explains and names specific emotions that we’ve all experienced while silently wondering if others have, too. Here, we take a look at 14 of these ingenious neologisms that Koenig has posted on The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Instagram page.
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Defines the Nameless Emotions We All Experience
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
By Tod PerrySep 05, 2017
















A hand reaches for some money on the groundCanva
Two hands entwined on a hospital bedCanva
Aerial view of a neighborhoodCanva
Gif of person dressed in panda costume destroying office
A homeless encampment on the streetCanva
A man celebrates during the sunsetCanva


A clown sits behind a laptop at workCanva
Gif from 'The Simpsons'
Overhead view of parking lotCanva