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German

zeitgeist

TSYT-gyst

ˈzaɪtɡaɪst

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Syllable breakdown

zeitgeist

Sounds like

Say 'TSYT-gyst' — the 'z' is a 'ts' sound as in German.

Dictionary meaning

The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history.

History and origin

German — 'Zeit' (time) + 'Geist' (spirit).

Examples

  • The album perfectly captured the zeitgeist of the early 1990s.

Common mispronunciations

ZAYT-geestZYT-jyst

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