Definition of tristful
: sad, melancholy
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Did You Know?
The Middle English word trist, from which "tristful" is derived, means "sad." Today, we spell this word triste (echoing the spelling of a French ancestor), whereas "tristful" has continued to be spelled without the "e." Is there a connection between "triste" ("sad") and "tryst" ("a secret rendezvous of lovers")? Not exactly. "Tryst" can be traced back to a Middle English "trist," but it is a different word, one that was a synonym of "trust." This word eventually fell into disuse, but before doing so, it may have given rise to a word for a station used by hunters, which is in turn believed to have led to "tryst."
Origin and Etymology of tristful
Middle English trist sad, from Anglo-French triste
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First Known Use: 15th century
in the meaning defined above
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