noun
nostalgia
no-STALD-zhuh
noun
1
A wistful longing for the past, or for home and familiar things.
"Hearing that old song filled her with nostalgia for her school days."
"The reunion was full of nostalgia as old friends swapped stories."
How to Use Nostalgia
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fond, slightly sad longing for a past time or place.
Memory tip
It's always a mixture of fondness and sadness — pure happy memory isn't quite nostalgia.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
wave of nostalgia
feel nostalgia for
sense of nostalgia
Word Forms
nostalgias plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “nostalgia”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Hearing that old song filled her with _____ for her school days.
Etymology
Coined in 1688 by the Swiss physician Johannes Hofer, combining Greek nostos ("homecoming") and algos ("pain"), originally to describe a medical condition of severe homesickness.