sadder; saddest
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. W. Cunnington
c
: of little worth
2
: of a dull somber color
sadness
noun
seasonal affective disorder
Synonyms
Adjective
- bad
- blue
- brokenhearted
- cast down
- crestfallen
- dejected
- depressed
- despondent
- disconsolate
- doleful
- down
- downcast
- downhearted
- down in the mouth
- droopy
- forlorn
- gloomy
- glum
- hangdog
- heartbroken
- heartsick
- heartsore
- heavyhearted
- inconsolable
- joyless
- low
- low-spirited
- melancholic
- melancholy
- miserable
- mournful
- saddened
- sorrowful
- sorry
- unhappy
- woebegone
- woeful
- wretched
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 WebAngie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2024
If pumpkin lovers are sad to see the Pumpkin Spice Glazed Doughnut leave after this weekend, there is no need to fear.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2024
To be fair, none of the women are sad to see Emily go, nor are the guys fretting CT’s exit.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2024
Many would have seen the sad sea turtle with a straw embedded deep into its nostril, or the albatross chicks having been fed bottle caps and cigarette lighters by their unknowing parents.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sad 
Adjective
There’s a difference between understanding intellectually that something is sad or important, and feeling heartbroken or fired up while watching it.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Sep. 2024
If pumpkin lovers are sad to see the Pumpkin Spice Glazed Doughnut leave after this weekend, there is no need to fear.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 20 Sep. 2024
To be fair, none of the women are sad to see Emily go, nor are the guys fretting CT’s exit.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 18 Sep. 2024
Many would have seen the sad sea turtle with a straw embedded deep into its nostril, or the albatross chicks having been fed bottle caps and cigarette lighters by their unknowing parents.
—New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sad
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sad.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sad
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sad. Accessed 29 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sad
adjective
sadder; saddest
1
: filled with or expressing grief or unhappiness
sad songs
2
: causing grief or unhappiness : depressing
sad news
sadly
adverb
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