adjective
sad
SAD/sæd/
Marked by unhappiness or disappointment.
The person looks sad while holding a broken keepsake cup.
Etymology
Old English sæd meant having had one's fill. Its shift toward unhappiness may have passed through heaviness and weariness, though another proposed route runs through “steadfast” and “serious” to “grave.”
In context
I'm a little sad... I'm, I'm not... I'm a little down in the dumps, you might say.
More examples
- I feel sad when my friends move away.
- The movie has a sad ending.
- A stale cracker is a sad excuse for dinner.
Forms
sad · sadder · saddest
sadness noun — The feeling of unhappiness or sorrow.
sadden verb — To make someone feel unhappy or sorrowful.
Similar words
- unhappy
- Usually describes feelings, rather than something that causes sorrow.
- sorrowful
- Suggests deeper sorrow, often following a loss.
- disappointing
- Emphasizes failure to meet expectations rather than emotional sorrow.