Word
Definitions
01longing for the past
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a bittersweet feeling of missing the past or wanting to return to a time you remember fondly.
n. a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time. Uncountable in general usage, though specific instances may be treated as countable.
“Hearing that old song filled him with nostalgia for his university days.”
“The film relies heavily on 1980s nostalgia, using neon aesthetics and synth-pop music to evoke a specific sense of childhood wonder.”
Synonyms
02homesickness
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Archaic
n. a strong feeling of missing your home or your country when you are away.
n. the original medical sense of acute homesickness or a longing for familiar surroundings. Now largely replaced by 'homesickness' in modern clinical contexts.
“The sailor suffered from a deep nostalgia for the green hills of his home.”
“In eighteenth-century medical texts, nostalgia was often diagnosed as a physical ailment affecting soldiers stationed far from their native villages.”
Usage
In modern English, this sense is almost entirely replaced by 'homesickness' unless writing in a historical context.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“For those who managed to get tickets last year, the performances were a celebration of one of Britpop’s finest bands and a chance to live through a night of 90s nostalgia.” “But it’s probably 75% nostalgia.”
Trunk reckons it taps into a very particular period of childhood for a certain generation.” Etymology
From New Latin nostalgia, coined by Johannes Hofer in 1688 from Ancient Greek νόστος (nóstos, “returning home”) + ἄλγος (álgos, “pain”), calquing German Heimweh. Ancient Greek νοσταλγία (nostalgía) is unattested. Transferred sense probably influenced by French nostalgie, especially in literature. Compare Italian nostalgia, Spanish nostalgia, Portuguese nostalgia and French nostalgie.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR