sad
1 Americanadjective
-
affected by unhappiness or grief; sorrowful or mournful.
to feel sad because a close friend has moved away.
- Synonyms:
- melancholy, dejected, depressed, downhearted, downcast, gloomy, discouraged, disconsolate, despondent, unhappy
- Antonyms:
- happy
-
expressive of or characterized by sorrow.
sad looks;
a sad song.
-
causing sorrow.
a sad disappointment;
sad news.
-
(of color) somber, dark, or dull; drab.
-
deplorably bad; sorry.
a sad attempt.
-
Obsolete. firm or steadfast.
noun
adjective
-
feeling sorrow; unhappy
-
causing, suggestive, or expressive of such feelings
a sad story
-
unfortunate; unsatisfactory; shabby; deplorable
her clothes were in a sad state
-
informal ludicrously contemptible; pathetic
he's a sad, boring little wimp
-
(of pastry, cakes, etc) not having risen fully; heavy
-
(of a colour) lacking brightness; dull or dark
-
archaic serious; grave
verb
abbreviation
Other Word Forms
- sadly adverb
- sadness noun
Etymology
Origin of sad1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English sæd “grave, heavy, weary,” originally “sated, full”; cognate with German satt, Gothic saths “full, satisfied”; akin to Latin satis “enough,” satur “sated,” Greek hádēn “enough.” See satiate, saturate
Origin of sād2
From Arabic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If she weren’t such an indefensible character, Bondi’s efforts to save her job would be sad.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
Talking to outlets, talking about what a sad experience it was, like you did this whole show that wasn’t aired, capitalize on it as much as you can.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
But, game as the actors are in playing up the sad and cringeworthy complications, the start-over imperative should have been taken to heart when the script was in the writing stage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
I’m sad it’s retreated a little bit, but I think it has to start behind the camera.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
It feels unbearably sad to me all of a sudden—that Dad spent so much time building a treehouse in a yard that isn’t his anymore.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
