nostalgic

1 of 2

adjective

nos·​tal·​gic nä-ˈstal-jik 

nə-,

 also  nȯ-,

nō-;

nə-ˈstäl-

: feeling or inspiring nostalgia: such as

a

: longing for or thinking fondly of a past time or condition

As we drove through the French countryside, I couldn't help being not just nostalgic, but wistful, about how simple wine was 25 years ago.

—Matt Kramer

The protest mostly featured the usual suspects—anti-capitalists, environmentalists, union types chanting "Solidarity," and aging hippies nostalgic for their youth.

—Margaret Wente

b

: evocative of a longed-for past time or condition

He loved good stories, especially nostalgic ones from his boyhood, and relished the telling.

—Peter Schworm

He soon parlayed his nostalgic pictures into a business that would eventually include writing, antique collecting, museum operations, and reproduction-furniture making.

—David K. Leff

nostalgically

nä-ˈstal-ji-k(ə-)lē 

nə-

 also  nȯ-

nō-;

nə-ˈstäl-

adverb

thinking nostalgically of the summers they spent together

looking back nostalgically on happier times

nostalgic

2 of 2

noun

plural nostalgics

: someone who longs for a past time or condition : a person given to nostalgia

There are nostalgics on both sides who felt better with a predictably snarling standoff than with the uncertain paths now opening.

—Flora Lewis

Eventually it would become an empty shell, a refuge for nostalgics unable to accept the challenge facing all organizations in a changing world; adapt or perish.

—John L. H. Keep

Examples of nostalgic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But in winter, when the year-round locals rule the roost, Nantucket becomes nostalgic. —Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 9 May 2024

This nostalgic cake recipe comes right from grandma's recipe box! —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2024

Tamborello honored the assignment Monday and offered one nostalgic rush after the other. —Piet Levy, Journal Sentinel, 7 May 2024

Amazon’s board game section is filled with nostalgic Hasbro tabletop games like Sorry! and Trivial Pursuit, as well as other classics like Monopoly and Catan. —Mia Huelsbeck, Peoplemag, 6 May 2024

Retro studio tours Universal Studios Hollywood is celebrating its 60th anniversary from now through Aug. 11 with a nostalgic tour — aboard retro red-and-white candy-striped Glamor Trams, no less — through six decades of Universal theme park history. —Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 6 May 2024

The nostalgic tingle Schoenbrun gets right is the feeling of being engulfed in mysteries. —Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024

Yet the hotel’s brand of nostalgic luxury is only one reason to visit; the other is its history. —Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024

Nobody walked into that amphitheater expecting a nostalgic night of Crazy Horse classics that completely neglected the 18 albums Young has released since the turn of the millennium. —Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2024

Noun

And there’s even that little red eraser ball cursor from back in the day for nostalgics. —Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2023

In part, this game is for the nostalgics in the FC Cincinnati and Louisville City FC fan bases. —The Enquirer, 25 Apr. 2023

Making any changes to such beloved brands means balancing the new with the nostalgic. —Erich Schwartzel, WSJ, 6 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

nostalg(ia) + -ic entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of nostalgic entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1782, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1874, in the meaning defined above