Building a Better Vocabulary

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z In German, zeit means “time,” and geist means “ghost” or “spirit.”

Thus, zeitgeist literally means “time-spirit,” or the “spirit of the

times.” The word might be used in context as follows: “Are we

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there a few among us—the geniuses, the explorers, the forward-

thinkers—who can rise above their time in history and see the

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z To remember zeitgeist, pick a time period or decade that stands

out to you and make a list of the cultural touchstones—the words,

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Weltschmerz (noun)

Sadness over the evils of the world.

z In German welt means “world,” and schmerz means “pain.” When

you experience weltschmerz, you experience “world-pain” or

“world weariness,” pain at the evils and injustices in the world.

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