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
Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
Instead, Mary blurts out her true feelings, blaming Clark for the sad state of his life.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Newbill tried to explain to Claiborne that his emotions — feeling frustrated, sad, insignificant — made sense.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Cesar's family and friends during this very sad time.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
These Marines were mostly sacrificed in the Philippines, which is the sad part of the story.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026
Instead, Mary blurts out her true feelings, blaming Clark for the sad state of his life.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Newbill tried to explain to Claiborne that his emotions — feeling frustrated, sad, insignificant — made sense.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to Cesar's family and friends during this very sad time.
—Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 28 May 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 4 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
