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
James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 Mar. 2026
There is, for all of its flash and private jets, a sad shadow on this series.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
And on Sunday afternoon, Rusty Lent was sad to leave the courts, perhaps for the last time.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The telecast went beyond the usual montage and sad song this year to say goodbye to these icons of cinema.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 Mar. 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
The loss of books is minor, almost trivial, in light of all the horrors and violence unleashed by this senseless war, but the potential loss of these books is a sad reminder that we’re all affected and implicated in America’s savage flailings.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 17 Mar. 2026
There is, for all of its flash and private jets, a sad shadow on this series.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
And on Sunday afternoon, Rusty Lent was sad to leave the courts, perhaps for the last time.
—John Ramos, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
The telecast went beyond the usual montage and sad song this year to say goodbye to these icons of cinema.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 16 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 19 Mar. 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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