wistful
Americanadjective
-
characterized by melancholy or longing.
-
pensive, especially in a melancholy way.
- Synonyms:
- forlorn, meditative, musing, contemplative, reflective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unwistful adjective
- wistfully adverb
- wistfulness noun
Etymology
Origin of wistful
First recorded in 1605–15; obsolete wist “quiet, silent, attentive” (variant of whist 2 ) + -ful
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.
The first single, Days We Left Behind, premiered on BBC Radio Merseyside, and finds the singer in a wistful, nostalgic mood.
From BBC
“I was to Holland once,” he said, voice wistful with recollection.
From Literature
She seemed wistful, almost as if she did have regrets.
From Literature
She is not the only interviewee to cite something that comes across as more of a wistful regret than an actual blunder.
They made him feel wistful and homesick for his cave and his friends.
From Literature
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.
