nostalgia

nos‧tal‧gia /nɒˈstældʒə $ nɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek nostos 'returning home' + algos 'pain']
a feeling that a time in the past was good, or the activity of remembering a good time in the past and wishing that things had not changed
nostalgia for
nostalgia for the good old days
He looked back on his university days with a certain amount of nostalgia.
a wave of nostalgia for how great life was in the 1960s
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ feel nostalgia He didn't feel any nostalgia for his school days.
▪ have nostalgia The immigrants I spoke to often had an intense nostalgia for their homeland.
■ adjectives
▪ great nostalgia (=a strong feeling of nostalgia) I read the college newsletter with great nostalgia.
▪ pure nostalgia (=used when talking about good things from the past that are not mixed with things from the present) It was an evening of pure nostalgia, as the band played hits from the 1940s.
■ phrases
▪ a feeling/sense of nostalgia Did it give you a sense of nostalgia to see the play on Broadway again?
▪ a pang of nostalgia (=a short feeling of nostalgia) She felt a pang of nostalgia for the time when they were all children.
▪ a wave of nostalgia (=a strong feeling of nostalgia) As I drove into the city I felt a wave of nostalgia sweep over me.
■ nostalgia + NOUN
▪ a nostalgia trip informal (=a situation or experience that reminds you of events in the past) Walking around campus was a great nostalgia trip for both of us.
▪ a nostalgia buff informal (=someone who likes old things) The restaurant, which still has its 1930s décor, is a favorite with nostalgia buffs.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nostalgia

nos·tal·gia [nostalgia nostalgias] [nɒˈstældʒə] [nəˈstældʒə] [nɑːˈstældʒə] noun uncountable
a feeling of sadness mixed with pleasure and affection when you think of happy times in the past
• a sense/wave/pang of nostalgia
• She is filled with nostalgia for her own college days.
Derived Words: nostalgic ▪ nostalgically
Word Origin:
late 18th cent. (in the sense ‘acute homesickness’): modern Latin (translating German Heimweh ‘homesickness’), from Greek nostos ‘return home’ + algos ‘pain’.
Example Bank:
• He thought back to his time as a student and felt no nostalgia for any of it.
• I remember it with great nostalgia.
• Nostalgia buffs gathered for the auction of wartime memorabilia.
• She felt great nostalgia for the old way of life.
• She remembers her life as a singer with a certain wistful nostalgia.
• The college reunion was a great nostalgia trip.

• an evening of pure nostalgia

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

nostalgia / nɒsˈtæl.dʒə / / nɑːˈstæl- / noun [ U ]

C2 a feeling of pleasure and also slight sadness when you think about things that happened in the past:

Some people feel nostalgia for their schooldays.

Hearing that tune again filled him with nostalgia.

a wave (= sudden strong feeling) of nostalgia

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

nostalgia

[nɒstæ̱lʤə]
N-UNCOUNT: oft N for n
Nostalgia is an affectionate feeling you have for the past, especially for a particularly happy time.
He might be influenced by nostalgia for the surroundings of his happy youth...
He discerned in the novel an air of Sixties nostalgia.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nostalgia

nos·tal·gia /nɑˈstælʤə/ noun [noncount] : pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again
• A wave of nostalgia swept over me when I saw my childhood home.
• He was filled with nostalgia for his college days.
- nos·tal·gic /nɑˈstælʤɪk/ adj [more ~; most ~]
• nostalgic memories
• Seeing pictures of my old friends made me feel very nostalgic.
• They remained nostalgic about the good old days.
- nos·tal·gi·cal·ly /nɑˈstælʤɪkli/ adv
• She spoke nostalgically about her childhood on the farm.