MAL
n. uncountable C1 Advanced US //ˈmæɫ// mal
n. a feeling of unhappiness or worry about something. You use this word when you are sad or anxious about a situation, often without knowing exactly why.
n. a state of mental distress, anxiety, or unhappiness. Often used in the plural form 'mals' to refer to various troubles or worries.
She felt a deep sense of mal about the news.
The team felt a growing mal about the project's direction after the latest budget cuts.
A pervasive mal settled over the household, a quiet anxiety that no one could name but everyone felt in the heavy silence between meals.