english word · 2026-07-12

Sonder

noun

Meaning

The profound feeling of realizing that everyone around you has a life as complex and multifaceted as your own, complete with their own ambitions, friends, and routines.

Etymology

Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, based on the German 'sonder' meaning special or separate.

Examples

"A sudden wave of sonder hit him as he watched the thousands of glowing windows in the city skyline at night."

"Sitting on the crowded train, she felt a sense of sonder while observing the tired strangers lost in their own private thoughts."

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