sad
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /sæd/
rhymes: -æd
homophone: SADD
Forms: form: sadder
form: more sad
form: saddest
form: most sad
Etymology: From Middle English sad, from Old English sæd (“satisfied, full, sated, unable to handle more, weary”), from Proto-West Germanic *sad, from Proto-Germanic *sadaz (“sated, satisfied”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂- (“to satiate, satisfy”).
Cognate to Saterland Frisian sääd, West Frisian sêd, Dutch zat, German Low German satt, German satt.
Senses: examples: text: She gets sad when he's away.
text: Firſt were we ſad, fearing you would not come, / Now ſadder that you come ſo vnprouided:[…]
ref: c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 219, column 2:
text: […]Th’ Angelic Guards aſcended, mute and ſad[…]
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, line 18:
topics: heading
glosses: Emotionally negative.
Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
synonyms: depressed
down in the dumps
glum
melancholy
antonyms: word: cheerful
word: gleeful
word: happy
word: upbeat
word: dejected
word: depressed
word: discontented
word: dissatisfied
word: gloomy
word: miserable
word: sad
word: unhappy
examples: text: The puppy had a sad little face.
text: We need a sad man. Give us a sad man.” Tomo gave the look of a sad man, then followed with the body of a sad man. “That's it, more of that. can you manufacture a mole right here? Yes, a very ugly mole. Right here, on the chin.[…]
ref: 2010 February 24, Eric Rentschler, Itoh's Ghost, iUniverse, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 54:
topics: heading
glosses: Emotionally negative.
Appearing sorrowful.
examples: text: It's a sad fact that most rapes go unreported.
text: The Great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, / For all their wars are merry and all their songs are sad.
ref: 1911, G. K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse:
text: The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:
topics: heading
glosses: Emotionally negative.
Causing sorrow; lamentable.
synonyms: word: deplorable
word: saddening
word: atrabiliary
word: atrabilious
word: deplorable
word: depressing
word: distressing
word: grievous
word: miserable
word: lamentable
word: lachrymable
word: mournful
word: pathetic
word: pathetisad
word: pitiable
word: pitiful
word: pitisome
word: regrettable
word: rueful
word: sad
word: saddening
word: sorrowful
word: tragic
word: unhappy
word: upsetting
word: woebegone
word: woeful
examples: text: That's the saddest-looking pickup truck I've ever seen.
text: Heaven knows what cash he got, or blood he spilt, / A sad old fellow was he, if you please[…].
ref: 1819 July 15, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, canto II, stanza CXXVII, page 182:
text: Musk is betting that lonely users will trade their cash (and last shreds of their connection to human life) for a bot that is explicitly designed to flirt with sad men, as the saddest man on Earth spearheaded it.
ref: 2025 July 16, Luis Prada, “Elon Musk’s Grok AI Now Includes a Pornographic Waifu Chatbot”, in Vice:
topics: heading
glosses: Emotionally negative.
Poor in quality, bad; shameful, deplorable; later, regrettable, poor.
synonyms: word: pitiful
word: sorry
word: ass
word: bad
word: base
word: below par
word: broken
word: bum
word: cheap
word: chintzy
word: crappo
word: crappy
word: craptastic
word: crapperific
word: craptabulous
word: craptacular
word: crummy
word: flimsy
word: inferior
word: lousy
word: low
word: low-grade
word: pitiful
word: poor
word: rinky-dink
word: rubbish
word: sad
word: schlocky
word: shoddy
word: slight
word: slim
word: sorry
word: subpar
word: shitty
word: substandard
word: tin-pot
word: unacceptable
word: unfit
word: unsatisfactory
word: unsound
word: unsuitable
word: woeful
word: wretched
antonyms: decent
examples: text: […]this is either uſed crude, and called ſulphur vive, and is of a ſadder colour; or after depuration, ſuch as we have in magdeleons or rols of a lighter yellow.
ref: 1650, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Other Common Tenents, Concerning Minerall and Terreous Bodies, Which Examined, Prove Either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 2nd book, page 69:
text: sad-coloured clothes
ref: 1679, Izaak Walton, The Life of Bishop Robert Sanderson:
text: Woad, or wade, is used by the dyers to lay the foundation of many colours, especially all sad colours.
ref: 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Emotionally negative.
Of colours: dark, deep; later, sombre, dull.
synonyms: word: bland
word: colourless
word: dim
word: dingy
word: dull
word: faint
word: lackluster
word: leaden
word: muddy
word: sad
word: sober
word: uncolorful
word: unholiday
word: wan
word: dark
word: deep
word: dull
word: dusky
word: full
word: fuscous
word: languid
word: muted
word: inky
word: intense
word: saturated
word: somber
word: swarthy
glosses: Sated, having had one's fill; satisfied, weary.
examples: text: The fearefull newes that whilſt the flame doth but begin,
Sad pollicie may ſerue to quench the fire: […]
ref: 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act I:
glosses: Steadfast, valiant.
examples: text: Therfore it nedeth that better prouysion.
Were founde for youthe by sad and wyse counsayle
ref: 1509, Sebastian Brant, translated by Alexander Barclay, The Ship of Fools,:
text: Vproſe Sir Guyon, in bright armour clad, / And to his purpoſd iourney him prepar'd: / With him the Palmer eke in habit ſad, / Him ſelfe addreſt to that aduenture hard: […]
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 3, page 348:
synonyms: word: staid
word: stern
word: austere
word: frightful
word: demure
word: serious
word: grave
word: earnest
word: grievous
word: lack-laughter
word: thoughtful
word: sad
word: sage
word: saturnine
word: sedate
word: solemn
word: solemncholy
word: sober
word: somber
word: sombre
word: staid
word: stern
word: sweer
word: weightsome
word: weighty
glosses: Dignified, serious, grave.
examples: text: Mr. Santon laughed, and merely said,—"Oh, you cruel beauty!" returning to his paper again; but, seated in the bay-window was one, who could not thus lightly look upon the conduct of the coquettish Winnie, for it was evident she was a sad coquette.
ref: 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds:
text: In ſuch places, it would not be doubted, that a grim Daniel Scroggins, and an aproned Sam Smith, might be found—ſad tipſy fellows, both of them, to whoſe ingenuity this or that mechanical improvement had been due.
ref: 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Essay III. Modern Advancements and Lay Inventors.”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy […], →OCLC, section IX, page 227:
synonyms: mischievous
roguish
vexatious
glosses: Naughty; troublesome; wicked.
examples: text: I can't believe you use drugs; you're so sad!
text: You’d have to be really sad to wear a shirt like that.
glosses: Unfashionable; socially inadequate or undesirable.
glosses: Soggy (to refer to pastries).
examples: text: sad bread
text: […]his hand, more ſad then lomp of lead,[…]
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 30, page 299:
text: Chalky lands are naturally cold and sad.
ref: 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:
glosses: Heavy; weighty; ponderous; close; hard.
Synonyms: sense: feeling mentally uncomfortable
word: discomforted
sense: feeling mentally uncomfortable
word: distressed
sense: feeling mentally uncomfortable
word: uncomfortable
sense: feeling mentally uncomfortable
word: unhappy
sense: moving, full of feeling
word: poignant
sense: moving, full of feeling
word: touching
word: atrabiliary
word: atrabilious
word: blitheless
word: dispirited
word: blue
word: bummed out
word: chapfallen
word: cheerless
word: chopfallen
word: crestfallen
word: cut up
word: damp
word: dejected
word: depressed
word: despondent
word: disgruntled
word: disconsolate
word: disheartened
word: dismal
word: doleful
word: dolesome
word: down
word: down in the dumps
word: down in the mouth
word: downcast
word: downhearted
word: downsome
word: dull
word: elegiac
word: elegious
word: forlorn
word: gloomy
word: glum
word: grief-stricken
word: grieving
word: heavy-hearted
word: heartsore
word: heartsick
word: inconsolable
word: infelicitous
word: jawfallen
word: joyless
word: lachrymose
word: lamentful
word: low
word: low-spirited
word: lugubrious
word: lumpish
word: melancholic
word: melancholy
word: miserable
word: moody
word: mopey
word: morose
word: mournful
word: passionate
word: plaintive
word: querulous
word: sad
word: saddened
word: saturnine
word: shattered
word: solemn
word: sombre
word: sorrowful
word: sorrow-ridden
word: sorrowsome
word: spiritless
word: sullen
word: threnetic
word: threnetical
word: triste
word: tristful
word: uncheerful
word: uncheery
word: unconsolable
word: unlively
word: wistful
word: woe
word: woebegone
word: woeful
word: wretched
Hypernyms: word: emotional
Hyponyms: word: heartbroken
word: lonely
word: lonesome
Derived terms: get a sad on
make someone's ears sad
pack a sad
sad ass
sad beige
sadboi
sad bread
sad case
sad-cited
sadcited
sad-com
sadder
saddest
sad drunk
sad-eyed
sad-faced
sadfishing
sadlarious
sadness
sad number
sad panda
sad sack
sad to say
sad tree
sad trombone
sangry
unsad
Related terms: word: sadden
word: haggard
word: grim
word: long-faced
word: pallid
word: pensive
word: lackadaisical
word: lethargic
word: listless
word: weary
word: crysome
word: maudlin
word: moist
word: plaintful
word: sobful
word: tearful
word: teary
word: weepy
word: lamentable