1
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the sad news about our uncle's death made my father cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
no one expected the supermodel to be a great actress, but her acting is sad beyond belief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a sad truth
sad news
sad eyes
a sad song
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 sad
There’s an interlude both lovely and sad in which James is still at large despite his face being splashed across newspapers.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
The song did what country music does best: tell sad, beautiful stories.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.
—Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sad
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
The song did what country music does best: tell sad, beautiful stories.
—Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.
—Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad
Adjective
-
Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey’s playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
29 May 2025
-
Netflix In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Ortega revealed that the massive success following 'Wednesday' actually left her unhappy.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
-
Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
What with weakened teams and consistently pathetic performances, their league form on both their parts has been pathetic enough to be termed a dereliction of duty.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Take yesterday’s left hook out of nowhere by President Donald Trump, bragging about doing something that would bust even this pathetic budget.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
On the internet, though, he is deemed as the heartbroken, brooding type because ...—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
25 May 2025
-
Sherine Smith, a former Capistrano teacher and former Laguna Beach Unified School District superintendent, said the meeting’s tone left her heartbroken.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
As the search continues, Pheobe's mom, Kylie Johnson, shared a heartbreaking message on Facebook.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
This veteran actor is due — plus, what an emotional heartbreaking performance!—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
The pitiful performance by the Texas Rangers against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 divisional round.—
Mac Engel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2025
-
But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
That would increase to 40% for productions outside of the Los Angeles area, or in economically depressed areas of Los Angeles.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, Messi is not laughing, and neither are his fans, who range from depressed to outraged at the current state of the team.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
The timing of Correa’s five-game absence for a concussion sustained in Baltimore on May 15 was unfortunate.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
27 May 2025
-
This is especially unfortunate because the plot itself is quite harrowing.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share