sadness

noun

Definition of sadnessnext
as in melancholy
a state or spell of low spirits she was filled with sadness at the thought of having to leave her family

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sadness At the same time, 40% reported experiencing stress, 23% reported sadness, 22% anger and 22% loneliness. — Naira Velumyan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Still, there are strains of deeper sadness and discomfort here, largely in the passive-aggressive tension between Kim’s character and her onscreen mother (superbly played by a new recuit, veteran TV star Choi Myeonggil). — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 So there’s always been a little bit of sadness around not being able to be more visually connected to my culture. — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Similarly, some people experience anger, sadness, and fear as different versions of bad, while others experience each one distinctly—and can make even finer distinctions among, say, anger, irritation, and frustration. — Angela Haupt, Time, 11 Aug. 2026 The researchers also detected differences in the brain activity associated with faces showing fear versus anger or sadness. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026 Gastélum’s last posts on Instagram and TikTok have thousands of comments ranging from sadness to disbelief. — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 There is dread and sadness and also anger, not only on behalf of the usual alibi for caring about famous women’s bodies, those masses of impressionable teen-age girls, but on behalf of past and present selves. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026 The feelings of shock and sadness derive from the thought that this all could have been avoided. — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadness
  1. melancholy
  2. depression
  3. sorrow
  4. grief
  5. mournfulness
  6. anguish
  7. gloom
  8. unhappiness
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Many women who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth also develop symptoms of depression.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accuse Meta of designing the platforms to hook young users, fueling anxiety, depression and even suicide, and misleading consumers about their safety.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • While firefighter Ed Glover appeared caught between rapture, and deep sorrow.
    — Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Two people in New Orleans fall in love under an oak tree whose branches bend like sorrow.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • Panettiere’s sudden death sent waves of grief from Hollywood to Ukraine, where the father of their child mourned the beloved actress and activist who battled a host of struggles.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Majdi described his son’s birth in near-metaphysical terms, his own grief as shattering.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of grief
Noun
  • Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Definition of mournfulness
Noun
  • There is no dramatic farewell; instead, the moment is marked by Singer’s silent anguish.
    — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The 62-year-old left a note in a Boeing notebook, describing his mental anguish.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Rather than falling prey to the tech takeover doom and gloom, take the time to restrategize.
    — Claire Bahn, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The three sat inside their cars, out of the hot August gloom, and waited.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of gloom
Noun
  • The more pragmatic camp argues that maintaining unity during the war requires addressing the public's unhappiness over the economy as well as political and social repression.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • There is more potential this month for unhappiness to reach you in this way.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Definition of unhappiness

Browse Nearby Words

sadly
sadness
safari
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Cite this Entry

“Sadness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadness. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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