hiraeth
noun/ HEER-eyeth /
A Welsh word for a deep, bittersweet longing for home — a place or time you can't return to, or perhaps one that never existed at all.
In a sentence
"She felt hiraeth standing in her childhood bedroom, realising the home she missed wasn't really a place at all."
Bex's take
This word destroys me every time. It's not just homesickness — it's longing for something you might have imagined. The British Isles invented rain AND this word. Respect.
Where it comes from
Welsh. Untranslatable into English — which is itself the point. No single English word comes close.
Get "hiraeth" on a product
Hiraeth Art Print
8×10" typographic poster. Frame it somewhere that feels like home.
Build your own
Put "hiraeth" on any product — mug, hoodie, tote, print. Your word, your design.
Customise →Frequently asked
What does hiraeth mean?
A Welsh word for a deep, bittersweet longing for home — a place or time you can't return to, or perhaps one that never existed at all.
How do you pronounce hiraeth?
hiraeth is pronounced /HEER-eyeth/.
How do you use hiraeth in a sentence?
She felt hiraeth standing in her childhood bedroom, realising the home she missed wasn't really a place at all.
Where does hiraeth come from?
Welsh. Untranslatable into English — which is itself the point. No single English word comes close.