n.
Sadness over the evils of the world, especially as an expression of romantic pessimism.
[German : Welt, world; see Weltanschauung + Schmerz, pain (from Middle High German smërze , from Old High German smerzo).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
