Meanings
- uncountableA psychosomatic disorder, with rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, etc., when a person is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing artworks.
Synonyms: Florence syndrome
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA psychosomatic disorder, with rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, etc., when a person is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing artworks.
Origin
Named after the 19th-century French author Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), who described such an experience in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Stendhal syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stendhal%20syndrome
“Stendhal syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stendhal%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Stendhal syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Stendhal%20syndrome.
Source: Stendhal syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.