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Naches

נחת · NAH-khes · Yiddish (from Hebrew) · noun
positiveintensity: highjoytrust

The proud, warm, heartfelt joy taken in another's accomplishments.

Definition

The proud, warm, heartfelt joy taken in another's accomplishments — especially those of one's children or grandchildren.

Connotation & usage

Narrower and warmer than generic pride: specifically the reflected pride and joy derived from a loved one's (usually a child's) achievement. Its relationship to kvell is one of feeling versus expression — to kvell is to gush over, or visibly express, the naches one feels. The idiom is “to schep (derive) naches.”

Literal sense

From Hebrew nachat “contentment, rest, ease.”

Related words

Etymology

Yiddish נחת (nakhes), from Hebrew נַחַת (nachat) “contentment, rest, ease.” The idiomatic verb schep (“to derive, draw”) is from German (cognate with English “scoop”).

How it has changed

A long-established Yiddish word, now borrowed into Jewish English; stable in meaning and closely paired with kvell. No reliable recent shift.

Sources

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From The Lexicon of Feeling — a carefully sourced dictionary & thesaurus of emotions across 60 languages. Definitions are verified against the cited sources; emotion-family, valence, and intensity tags are editorial. This is a learning tool for emotional vocabulary, not therapy or a substitute for professional care. © 2026 The Lexicon of Feeling.