sad

1 of 3

adjective

ˈsad How to pronounce sad (audio)
sadder; saddest
Synonyms of sadnext
1
a
: affected with or expressive of grief or unhappiness : downcast
b(1)
: causing or associated with grief or unhappiness : depressing
sad news
(2)
: regrettable, deplorable
… a sad relaxation of morals.—C. W. Cunnington
c
: of little worth
2
: of a dull somber color
sadness noun

SAD

2 of 3

abbreviation

seasonal affective disorder

sadness

3 of 3

noun

sad·​ness
plural -es
1
: the quality or state of being sad : sorrowfulness, unhappiness, gloominess
2
: an instance (as a mood or an appearance) of being sad : something sorrowful, gloomy, or depressing
she talked about death as she spoke … of any of the sadnesses of nature—Willa Cather

Synonyms of sad

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Adjective

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depression, melancholy, melancholia, dejection, gloom, blues, dumps: sadness is a general term usually without implications about cause or intensity of unhappy feeling

conscious of a profound sadness which was not grief —Arnold Bennett
a certain sense of desolation and sadness —A. C. Benson

depression may indicate a brooding, listless, sullen, or despondent condition in which one usually feels let down, disheartened, enervated, or inadequate

never before, in any mood of depression, had she given evidence of suicidal thoughts —Havelock Ellis
many youngsters are conscious of a vast depression when entering the portals of a university; they feel themselves inadequate to cope with the wisdom of the ages garnered in the solid walls —G. D. Brown

melancholy now is likely to indicate a mood or mental condition marked by sad and serious pensiveness

the wit, the gaiety of spirit tinged with a tender melancholy —W. H. Hudson †1922

melancholia may indicate a settled deep depression verging on insanity

the excited phase is called mania and its counterpart is known as melancholia. In the former there is a slaphappy hilarity and a disregard of the conventional restraints, while the latter phase is marked by mournful and self-accusatory ideas and a countenance disfigured by despair —R. S. Ellery

dejection is close to depression but may apply to a more temporary mood and suggest a natural cause or logical reason

it was the last of the regiment's stay in Meryton, and all the young ladies in the neighborhood were drooping apace. The dejection was almost universal —Jane Austen
these notable victories of the mind, from which so much was hoped, have had for result not so much increased happiness as disquiet, have made for dejection rather than rejoicing —W. M. Dixon

gloom may suggest the dark and dispiriting overall atmosphere or effect of depression or dejection

the leaden gloom of one who has lost all that can make life interesting, or even tolerable —Thomas Hardy
the gloom that now lay over it in a dead and menacing quietude and stagnation —Walter de la Mare

blues simply indicates low spirits

suffering from a sharp attack of the blues. A feeling of depression and foreboding had taken possession of him. The present seemed empty and futile, the future dark with intangible calamity —F. W. Crofts

dumps now usually used only in the phrase in the dumps, may indicate a deeper, more sullen and cheerless state than that indicated by blues

in the dumps about his stock market losses

Examples of sad in a Sentence

Adjective He's feeling sad because his pet died. People were sad that he was leaving. The experience left her sadder but wiser. Have you heard the sad news about his wife's illness? It'll be a sad day when you leave us. a movie with a sad ending He lived a sad life. The sad fact of the matter is that they are right. The new version is a sad imitation of the original movie. We needed more money but, sad to say, there wasn't any.
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.
Adjective
Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile. — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship). — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026 Vance’s comment about Watergate reflected the sad reality of politics today. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 29 June 2026 The closure was especially sad for kids like Harrison Wieliczko, who was excited to swim, but instead had to focus on playing in the sand. — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sad

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English sæd sated; akin to Old High German sat sated, Latin satis enough

Noun

Middle English sadnesse seriousness, firmness, from sad entry 1 + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sad was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing sad

Rhymes for sad

See All Rhymes for sad

Browse Nearby Words

sacrum
sad
SAD
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Cite this Entry

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

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Kids Definition

sad

adjective
ˈsad How to pronounce sad (audio)
sadder; saddest
1
: filled with or expressing grief or unhappiness
sad songs
2
: causing grief or unhappiness : depressing
sad news
sadly adverb

Medical Definition

SAD

abbreviation
seasonal affective disorder

More from Merriam-Webster on sad

Nglish: Translation of sad for Spanish Speakers

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