sadden

verb

sad·​den ˈsa-dᵊn How to pronounce sadden (audio)
saddened; saddening ˈsad-niŋ How to pronounce sadden (audio)
ˈsa-dᵊn-iŋ
Synonyms of saddennext

transitive verb

: to make sad

intransitive verb

: to become sad

Examples of sadden in a Sentence

It saddens me that we could not agree. We were saddened to see how ill she looks. She was saddened over the death of her friend. Her face saddened when she heard the news.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And so the Mississippi River has been this flow of commerce both up and down the river for a long time, but I was really saddened to hear how much of that commerce was people. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 3 July 2026 Parishioners at Saint Agnes said they were saddened by the schism and would continue to pray for a united church. ABC News, 3 July 2026 By the journey’s end, I was incredibly saddened that my Valhalla experience had come to an end after two whole days of driving. Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 Ryan Carson, the CEO of Untangle, which provides legal workflow software for divorce attorneys, said in a post on X he was saddened by Petersen’s opinion. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sadden

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sadden was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Sadden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadden. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

sadden

verb
sad·​den ˈsad-ᵊn How to pronounce sadden (audio)
saddened; saddening -niŋ How to pronounce sadden (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become sad

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