What it means
دلهره (delhore) names the feeling of dread or apprehension, the uneasy anticipation you feel before something you are worried about. The word is a compound of دل (del, heart) and هره (hore), a second element whose precise etymology is uncertain, though it is commonly understood to evoke a sense of sudden commotion or lurching. Together they describe the sensation of the heart fluttering with unease. Delhore is close in meaning to دلشوره (del-shure), but delhore tends to sit slightly heavier, leaning toward dread or foreboding rather than just anxious worry. Both words are more visceral than the broader دلواپسی (delvapasi, worry).
How to use it
- دلهره دارم برای امتحان فردا. (delhore daram baraye emtehân-e fardâ.) “I have dread about tomorrow’s exam.”
- از فکر کردن بهش دلهره میگیرم. (az fekr kardan behash delhore migiram.) “Just thinking about it fills me with dread.”
- دلهرهام برطرف شد. (delhore-am bartaraf shod.) “My apprehension went away.”
- چرا اینقدر دلهره داری؟ (chera inghad delhore dari?) “Why are you so anxious?”
Cultural note
Persian speakers frequently describe emotions in terms of the heart rather than the mind, and delhore is a clear example of this pattern. The physical imagery, a heart startled into commotion, makes the word feel embodied rather than abstract. In Iranian daily speech, it is common to hear someone say دلهره دارم before a job interview, a medical result, or a difficult conversation, expressing a whole-body unease that English “worry” does not fully capture.