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
Vasily Grossman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2026
Vance’s comment about Watergate reflected the sad reality of politics today.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
The closure was especially sad for kids like Harrison Wieliczko, who was excited to swim, but instead had to focus on playing in the sand.
—
Tammy Mutasa,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile.
—
Vasily Grossman,
Harpers Magazine,
30 June 2026
But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
30 June 2026
Vance’s comment about Watergate reflected the sad reality of politics today.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
29 June 2026
The closure was especially sad for kids like Harrison Wieliczko, who was excited to swim, but instead had to focus on playing in the sand.
—
Tammy Mutasa,
CBS News,
29 June 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 5 Jul. 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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