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 Web
Davey Winder, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
What kids gain from taking charge of their own feelings
Having strong emotional regulation skills doesn’t mean kids won’t feel sad, angry, or frustrated — that’s part of being human.
—Amy Morin, Contributor, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Chrisley's followers quickly flooded the sad announcement with over 2,000 comments, sending their condolences.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
My father once told me that spewing negativity leads to a sad and lonely life, that pessimism is a prison that blinds you to the beauty that surrounds us.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sad 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
However, sad to say, Gmail accounts remain a prime target for attackers of all sorts and understanding the threat is key to getting a grip on mitigating it.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
What kids gain from taking charge of their own feelings
Having strong emotional regulation skills doesn’t mean kids won’t feel sad, angry, or frustrated — that’s part of being human.
—Amy Morin, Contributor, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Chrisley's followers quickly flooded the sad announcement with over 2,000 comments, sending their condolences.
—Gil MacIas, People.com, 12 Dec. 2024
My father once told me that spewing negativity leads to a sad and lonely life, that pessimism is a prison that blinds you to the beauty that surrounds us.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sad
Dictionary Entries Near sad
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sad. Accessed 20 Dec. 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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