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nostalgia

nuh-STAL-juh /nɒˈstæl.dʒə/

nounB2GRESATTOEFLIELTS

generalliterary

A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

Implies a warm yet slightly aching reflection on the past, often romanticizing memories.

The story behind the word. Coined in 1688 by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer as a medical term for a fatal homesickness observed in Swiss mercenaries fighting in lowlands far from their alpine homes.

Word relationships

reminiscence: Reminiscence refers specifically to the act or account of recalling memories, whereas nostalgia emphasizes the bittersweet emotion felt.
yearning: Yearning is a broad intense longing for anything (future or past), while nostalgia is specifically focused on the past.

indifference: Indifference shows a complete lack of interest or feeling toward past events.

Commonly confused with

homesickness: Homesickness is physical longing for home/family; nostalgia can be longing for a past time or lost era.

Word family

nostalgic (adjective): Feeling or evoking nostalgia.
nostalgically (adverb): In a nostalgic manner.

Collocations

wave of nostalgia
feel nostalgia
nostalgia for
deep nostalgia

Idioms & expressions

trip down memory lane

Example sentences

"Visiting my old elementary school filled me with a deep sense of nostalgia." Personal reflection
"There is no greater sorrow than to recall in misery the time when we were happy, a quiet nostalgia that haunts the soul." Literary observation

Memory hook

NOSTALgia = NO STALL in time can stop you from wishing you were back in the past. Nostos (homecoming) + Algos (pain) = the pain of wanting home.

When not to use

Do not use for forward-looking desires or simple everyday memory recall.

Fun facts

Nostalgia was once treated by physicians with leeches, opium, and warm baths in 18th-century military hospitals.