zeitgeist

[tsahyt-, zahyt-gahyst] / ˈtsaɪt-, ˈzaɪtˌgaɪst /

NOUN

spirit of the time

Synonyms

STRONG

climate outlook spirit trend

WEAK

ambience atmosphere disposition feeling flavor inclination leaning milieu movement tendency tenor tone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With the billionaire class getting hammered in the zeitgeist, I had wondered how our trip might go.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

“The current zeitgeist is a great place for a movie like this,” she says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Its local name “Ben Fu” translated as “Rushing Toward Prosperity,” capturing the zeitgeist of China’s go-go years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Several films seized the zeitgeist this year but only this one kept returning to theaters for an encore.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

So Sophy left off trying to understand clearly all the "ologies" and fly-wheel within fly-wheel movements of the day, and contented herself with a general apprehension of the zeitgeist.

From Shadows of Flames A Novel by Rives, Amélie