verklempt

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verklempt

/fəˈklɛm(p)t/ UK
/və-/ UK
/fɚˈklɛm(p)t/ US
/vɚ-/ US

Rhymes with -ɛmt

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Yiddish פֿאַרקלעמט (farklemt, “depressed, distraught; choked up”). The English spelling was influenced by the German prefix ver- corresponding to Yiddish פֿאַר־ (far-). German verklemmt (“uptight”, literally “jammed”) is formally cognate, but semantically unrelated; a closer match is beklommen (“anxious, despondent”). Popularized by a 1990s sketch comedy series.

adjective more verklempt · most verklempt · faclempt · faklempt · farklempt · ferklempt

US, colloquial Overcome with emotion, choked up. Ferklempt Without You—Very pretty, sexy, fun, active, Jewish, 35, ad exec seeks handsome, funny guy for love and happiness. It'll be like buttah!
US, colloquial Flustered, nervous, overwhelmed. […] I noticed that Mom could barely hold a fork, write, walk, get up, sit down. She was verklemmt. Vermischt. More Yiddish words that mean what they sound like.
Similar: angstful, apprehensive, anxious, careful, concerned, distraught, disturbed, edgy, fraught, freaked out, hagridden, high-strung

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MLA

"verklempt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/verklempt. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

verklempt. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/verklempt

Chicago

"verklempt." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/verklempt.

BibTeX

@misc{verklempt_2026,
  title = {verklempt},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/verklempt},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}