adjective
blue
Feeling sad or unhappy.
He feels blue after saying goodbye to his closest friend.
Etymology
French bleu supplies the color word. English developed a figurative association between blue and low spirits, so feeling blue describes sadness rather than a literal change in color.
More examples
- Rainy weekends sometimes leave her blue.
- I was feeling a little blue yesterday.
- A friendly call lifted his blue mood.
Forms
blue
Similar words
- sad
- The ordinary word without the informal color metaphor.
- melancholy
- Melancholy suggests a quieter or more reflective sadness.