spleen
spleen; deep melancholy; world-weariness
Advanced Noun Masculine
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Pronunciation
/splin/
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Cultural Note
Borrowed from English, 'spleen' became a central concept in French literature through Baudelaire's 'Les Fleurs du mal' (1857). It describes a profound, existential ennui and disgust with life, more intense than simple melancholy. It remains a distinctly literary term.
📝 Example Sentences
Le spleen de Paris hante l'œuvre de Baudelaire.
The spleen of Paris haunts Baudelaire's work.
Un spleen automnal l'envahissait chaque novembre.
An autumnal melancholy overtook him every November.