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
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
Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
So sad to miss this movie release and premiere, but so grateful to all the actors and the team who put this together.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
What’s your go-to for getting yourself out of a sad mood?
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
One of the saddest parts of Black Swan is seeing Nina’s passion for dance draining out of her.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
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Adjective
And remember, proper washing and stain removal each time is easier than trying to revive a pair of sad socks.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 13 Jan. 2026
So sad to miss this movie release and premiere, but so grateful to all the actors and the team who put this together.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Jan. 2026
What’s your go-to for getting yourself out of a sad mood?
—Josh Yohe, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
One of the saddest parts of Black Swan is seeing Nina’s passion for dance draining out of her.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sad. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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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