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Wistful Has a Wishful History
We see you there, dear reader, gazing silently up at the moon, heart aching to know the history of wistful, as if it could be divined on the lunar surface. And we'd like to ease your melancholy by telling you that the knowledge you seek—nay, pine for—is closer at hand. The word wistful comes from wistly, a now-obsolete word meaning "intently," and the similar-sounding wishful. Wistly, in turn, likely comes from whist, an old term meaning "silent." What's more certain is that our modern wistful is a great word to describe someone full of pensive yearning, or something inspiring such yearning.
Examples of wistful in a Sentence
Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 11 June 2026
Director Michiel Van Erp draws memorable performances from his cast while screenwriter Frank Houtappels’ wistful story reminds us of a bygone era and how reconciling with your past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
For those in attendance, the singer performed the hit song Tuesday for the first time, taking the stage in a floor-length gown to play a piano rendition of the wistful track.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026
Theodore Roosevelt was among the wistful.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Cite this Entry
“Wistful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wistful. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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