sad

adjective

ˈsad How to pronounce sad (audio)
Definition of sadnext
1
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness the sad news about our uncle's death made my father cry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy) no one expected the supermodel to be a great actress, but her acting is sad beyond belief

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sad Seehorn carried a heavy load as its lead, playing a sad, angry woman forced to save the world from happiness and the hive mind. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The Black Eyed Peas frontman commented with many sad face and crying emojis under Jones' post. — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026 The little girl stared up at Norma Gómez from the doorway of her neighbor's apartment, her sad, brown eyes suddenly flashing with hope. — Claudia Boyd-Barrett, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 There’s something sadder about a person coming in fourth place than a person dying, actually. — Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad
  1. unhappy
  2. depressing
  3. pathetic
  4. heartbroken
  5. heartbreaking
  6. pitiful
  7. depressed
  8. unfortunate
Adjective
  • Warner and Greenlaw — close friends since San Francisco drafted Greenlaw in 2019 — were together again after both missed most of the 2025 season with injuries, Greenlaw’s coming as an unhappy member of the Denver Broncos.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • There's also the daunting task of keeping young conservatives engaged at a time when many of them are unhappy with party leaders.
    — Elena Moore, NPR, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Voting rights advocates argue that requirements to present birth certificates or passports in order to register to vote is a disguised effort to make voting more difficult, depressing turnout and in effect disenfranchising voters.
    — Todd Spangler, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Climate change, depressing and overwhelming, falls into that category.
    — Peter Prengaman, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Among the performers, Smith rules the roost as the no-nonsense Angela, and Jones acquits himself tolerably on comic relief duties as the pathetic Mike.
    — Caspar Salmon, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Villarreal Villarreal’s performance in this competition last season was, frankly, pathetic.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Wright State University President Sue Edwards said the school community was heartbroken.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Micah’s life was taken far too soon, leaving his family, friends, teammates, and community heartbroken.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • At each turn, a heartbreaking picture comes into sharper focus, underscoring Ricki’s destructive appetite that exploits Rita’s deepest needs and fears under the guise of friendship and no-judgement sisterhood.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Women's Media Center, which Steinem cofounded with Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan in 2005, mourned the pioneering feminist's loss in a heartbreaking tribute.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of heartbreaking
Adjective
  • Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.
    — Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026
Definition of pitiful
Adjective
  • Quietly depressed, a wife to Reuben (Tracy Letts, Coon’s real-life partner) and mother to Ella (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young), Rita holds a monotonous desk job at a bank by day, and tends to her family by night as part of her humdrum routine.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Sprague conceded Clancy had mental health issues and was depressed.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • That is the unfortunate part of a tenure full of expansion, media-rights billions and two transformational collective bargaining agreements.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Moore and his allies are presenting gerrymandering as an unfortunate response to an acute political crisis, but trying to gerrymander Maryland in favor of Democrats is far from a new effort.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate

Browse Nearby Words

sacrosanct
sad
sadden
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Cite this Entry

“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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