Awesome Words in German

In my previous blog post, 'Awesome Words In Other Languages', I mentioned some words with no English equivalent. While compiling this list, I found so many great gems in the German language, I decided to create a separate post just for them.

Goaßgschau

The act of staring blankly with unfocused eyes. Literally means "stare of a goat".

Backpfeifengesicht

A face that's in desperate need of a good slap.


Deppenfahrerbeaugung

Translates to "moron driver eyeballing", and describes the desire to turn around and glare at a bad driver you’ve just passed.


Treppenwitz

Literally means "staircase wit", this refers to a clever reply that's thought of after the conversation has ended.


Verschlimmbessern

To attempt making something better, but only make it worse. Always frustrating when that happens.

Schnapsidee

To come up with a seemingly ingenious plan when drunk. I mean, anything and everything seems like a good plan when you're drunk as a skunk, right?

Sitzfleisch

The ability to sit still and persevere with an activity. Literally translates as "sit flesh". Because you'll have to sit on your butt for a long time to finish that assignment. As a side note, the word also means "butt".

Sturmfrei

Having the house to yourself, and the feeling of freedom associated with it.

Gemütlichkeit

A feeling of peaceful contentment and coziness, or a sense of belonging and social acceptance.

Waldeinsamkeit

The feeling of being alone in the woods.

Fernweh

Desire to travel, longing for faraway places.

Sehnsucht

Can be defined as an intense form of longing, the feeling of searching for something undefinable, or seeking a purpose in life.


Kophkino

To act out a scenario in your head. Literally means "head cinema".


Drachenfutter

A gift given to placate someone. Literally means "dragon fodder".
"I'm sorry. Please don't kill me!" Bob cried, then dropped the doughnuts at the mouth of the den and ran before the enraged wyrm could poke its head out.

Neidbau

A building constructed to annoy a neighbor.

Torschlusspanik

The worry that one is running out of time to do things.

Schaudenfreude

A malicious enjoyment at seeing others' misfortune.

Kummerspeck

Weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally translates as "grief fat" or "grief bacon".

Zugzwang

A situation where one is pressured to make a decision, but would prefer not to act. Also used as a chess term for being forced to make a move which puts them at a disadvantage.


Kabelsalat

Literally means "cable salad". It describes that tangled mess of cables. Maybe you've seen them under a computer desk, or spent an extraordinary amount of time trying to determine which cord goes to the VCR and which goes to the TV.