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 So my number one wish is that more folks knew that there’s a reality that not all children survive their diagnosis, as sad as that is, and as hard as that is. — Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 20 July 2026 With few exceptions, Democrats are embarking on the same sad path. — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 20 July 2026 When England would lose in 1982 and kid Roger would just feel sad, the final whistle ended. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026 Goodbye as well to Cam Smith, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland and, perhaps saddest of all, Jordan Spieth. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 17 July 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
  • Despite the peace and goodwill following the Hundred Year War, Aang is unhappy and lonesome.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Was this about one of you being really unhappy with the streaming culture of people skipping opening credits?
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 23 July 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • The song arrives alongside a cinematic, albeit somewhat depressing, video directed by Mikai Karl and starring distinctive French character actor Denis Lavant (Beau Travail, Mauvais Sang).
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 15 July 2026
  • In addition to which, the Moon is lined up with stern Saturn, which can be depressing.
    — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Never in my lifetime has pathetic nostalgia for the white man’s republic been closer to the center of power.
    — Brian DeLay, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
  • Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.
    — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • The families of these men and women grieving, heartbroken, yet filled with pride.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • Nearly everything Irene does here is monstrous, and yet Corsini never stops encouraging viewers to search for the heartbroken woman suddenly obscured by a wild avatar of self-protection.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • For Staten and Quinn, that timing proves especially heartbreaking.
    — Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Like the cases of Jameson and Parker, many of these are avoidable tragedies that are heartbreaking for families and cost animals their lives.
    — Vanessa Shakib, Oc Register, 23 July 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
  • The rest were overseas — many of them belonging to impoverished locals living in conflict zones or economically depressed regions where other employment options are scarce.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • The adviser told me that, even without drastically expanding the budget or upending the financial markets, Burnham could borrow a bit more to finance public-infrastructure investments and channel money to depressed regions.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.
    — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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