sonder
noun/ SON-der /
The sudden, quietly overwhelming realization that every random person around you has a life just as vivid, complex, and full as yours — complete with their own worries, inside jokes, and 2am thoughts.
In a sentence
"Watching the strangers hurry past in the rain, she was struck by sonder — each of them carrying an entire universe inside."
Bex's take
I had a full sonder moment on the subway in Toronto last winter. The woman across from me was crying — just silently, looking out the window. I spent the entire ride making up her whole story in my head. Her name was probably Margaret. She had a cat. Things were complicated.
Where it comes from
Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (2012). Not a traditional dictionary word — but it should be.
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What does sonder mean?
The sudden, quietly overwhelming realization that every random person around you has a life just as vivid, complex, and full as yours — complete with their own worries, inside jokes, and 2am thoughts.
How do you pronounce sonder?
sonder is pronounced /SON-der/.
How do you use sonder in a sentence?
Watching the strangers hurry past in the rain, she was struck by sonder — each of them carrying an entire universe inside.
Where does sonder come from?
Coined by John Koenig in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (2012). Not a traditional dictionary word — but it should be.