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
Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
Esteban Andres Cruz, evoking Sarandon, makes Leon a sad and touching figure, but the real tears are shed by Sonny.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
This new suit is just a sad attempt to get attention over something that's already been in litigation for months.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Barbed treble hooks do a sad number on a trout's soft, delicate mouth.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 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
The reason why is a sad, complex story that involves his aging body and voice, a difficult divorce, and some very public allegations of domestic abuse that made headlines in his native Philippines.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2026
Esteban Andres Cruz, evoking Sarandon, makes Leon a sad and touching figure, but the real tears are shed by Sonny.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
This new suit is just a sad attempt to get attention over something that's already been in litigation for months.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Barbed treble hooks do a sad number on a trout's soft, delicate mouth.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 29 Mar. 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 1 Apr. 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
