1
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the sad news about our uncle's death made my father cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sad
Noem did not say why McLaughlin was leaving but said the department was sad to see her leave and wished her well.
—
Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The flashback also has its own short, sad narrative arc.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Sandwiches Don’t be tempted by the deli sandwiches sold in plastic clam shells, the cold bread and sad cold cuts are not worth it.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Tress surely recognized himself in all these men, from the saddest shrinking violet to the happy flasher with nothing under his trenchcoat but pants cut off just above the knees.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The flashback also has its own short, sad narrative arc.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Sandwiches Don’t be tempted by the deli sandwiches sold in plastic clam shells, the cold bread and sad cold cuts are not worth it.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
Tress surely recognized himself in all these men, from the saddest shrinking violet to the happy flasher with nothing under his trenchcoat but pants cut off just above the knees.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad
Adjective
-
For Adams’ Laura, its restorative properties are compromised by ever-present memories of her unhappy childhood, many of them directly associated with the family’s gorgeous summer house.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Competitive equity playoffs There’s still coaches unhappy with the Southern Section competitive equity playoff system using computer algorithms to place teams in divisions.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That simple scenario is a lot less depressing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
These could become depressing, as well as confusing.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For a film such a this to arrive in a FIFA World Cup year is a stark reminder of the entwinement between soccer and corruption, and De Pauw’s performance as Mayor Dumont — a man inclined to compartmentalize and pass the buck — is wonderfully pathetic.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Community ‘heartbroken’ over sewage spill Philip Gray used to enjoy paddling down the river in a canoe or floating in an inner tube, beer in hand, toward his home in Cabin John.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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The lyrics emanated from dramatic words and emotions expressed by owner Terry Pegula, football boss Brandon Beane and new head coach about their heartbroken hero.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
On his computer monitor was a photograph of a 2-year-old boy, Alan Kurdi, lying dead in shallow seawater on a beach in Turkey—a heartbreaking photo that went viral in the summer of 2015.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
17 Feb. 2026
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The portrait of the Prince and the trafficking victim—his hand on her waist; her heartbreaking smile—with Maxwell, the human factor, standing by, will always be the defining image of the Royal Family’s involvement in the Epstein case.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And very plain and simple, just depressed.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
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Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With so much experience playing Head, Claassen is easily able to improvise in the moment answering random questions, cracking jokes and exchanging repartee with audience members, like the unfortunate man in row B who dared to show up at the theater on Friday in a casual sweatshirt.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ben Jaggers finds motivation from an unfortunate disqualification that stifled his bid for a medal last year.—
Rick Cantu,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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