as in sad
causing unhappiness
the saddening discovery that something is threatening the birds in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in depressing
to make sad
the arrival of winter always saddens me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saddening
Adjective
-
The song’s a lonely and sad tale, with the narrator pondering his state in the back of the long, white Cadillac.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025 -
Colman and Cumberbatch set aside the sad aspects of divorce and instead engage in an all-out war, perfectly and comically encapsulating their hatred for each other.—
Rebecca Aizin,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
At the moment, however, inflation remains higher than hoped and the affordability crunch continues depressing aspiring homebuyers' chances of getting on the property ladder.—
William Lambers,
Newsweek,
10 Mar. 2025
-
Isn’t the world depressing enough right now without having to see that?—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Two things were completely predictable after Donald Trump’s pathetic stunt, packing the streets of Washington, DC, with National Guard members and federal agents, allegedly to combat crime.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
-
How petty and pathetic and thin-skinned could this administration get?—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike its cousin, the shaker glass, an unfortunate bar staple across the globe, a good pub glass usually holds 20 ounces of beer and has a flair in the upper body that allows aromas and flavors to blossom.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
On the Brink: The maddening precipice of greatness There is a special, unfortunate place in sports history for the teams and players that almost did it.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
25 Dec. 2024
-
Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Billy Bambrough,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
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.
Cite this Entry
“Saddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saddening. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share