Naches
What it means
Joy or pride felt in another person's achievements.
Reach for it when celebrating the joy and pride drawn from someone else's achievement
Her grandson's graduation filled the whole family with naches.
Words to choose between 5
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
|
| formal |
-
playful
kvelling
Fits when Yiddish-inflected exuberant pride suits the audience
Careful Kvelling is the act, not the feeling itself.
-
everyday
Fits when plain happiness is enough
Careful Joy loses the relational achievement nuance.
-
everyday
pride
Fits when satisfaction in a close person's achievement leads
Careful Pride can concern one's own achievement.
-
warm
Fits when shared happiness matters more than reflected credit
Careful Delight does not necessarily include pride.
-
formal
Fits when fulfilled hopes produce restrained satisfaction
Careful Gratification can be entirely self-directed.
Opposites 3
- disappointment
- envy
- chagrin
Common phrases 3
-
family naches
The scholarship announcement brought the grandparents abundant family naches.
-
shep naches
May the new apprentice continue to shep naches for her mentors.
-
source of naches
His generous teaching became a lasting source of naches.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Naches carries a specifically Yiddish cultural flavor that the plainer alternatives do not preserve.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated