sadden

verb

sad·​den ˈsa-dᵊn 

saddened; saddening ˈsad-niŋ 

ˈsa-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make sad

intransitive verb

: to become sad

Synonyms of sadden

• depress
• worry
• oppress
• trouble
• burden

Examples of sadden in a Sentence

It saddens me that we could not agree.

We were saddened to see how ill she looks.

She was saddened over the death of her friend.

Her face saddened when she heard the news.

Recent Examples on the Web

The move to quickly shut down all locations on Friday saddened some New Yorkers with a sweet tooth and marked the culmination of a feverish growth spurt that included a messy final year for the company and changing consumer habits. — New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Reached Wednesday, her mother Cindy Rios said she was shocked and saddened by the string of events. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Other magpies gathered around it, as if saddened and confused. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for sadden

• gladden
• hadden
• madden
• aladdin
• coumadin

Kids Definition

sadden

verb

sad·​den ˈsad-ᵊn 

saddened; saddening -niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become sad