1
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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a sad story
a painful story
a tragic story
an awful story
a pitiful story
a tough story
a sad truth
a harsh truth
a sickening truth
a shameful truth
an unfortunate truth
a bitter truth
sad news
sad eyes
sullen eyes
a sad song
a tearful song
an emotional song
a dark song
a mournful song

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 In this case, sad is used as a lighthearted term for a cake that rises, but then gradually falls or settles after baking, resulting in a dense confection. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Aug. 2025 The sad reality is that adult dogs like Willow often struggle to get adopted compared to puppies. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Aug. 2025 Not a coming-of-age sound, but a mid-20s sad guitar, synth and a loss. Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025 The sad reality is that Lucky really hasn't had all that much luck in his life to date. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for sad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad
Adjective
  • As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
  • President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.
    Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The fact that the jokes about Joao Felix come so easily is a little depressing.
    Liam Twomey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Ari Aster’s first feature kicked off with the accidental decapitation of a child, and each subsequent film has only gotten more depressing from there.
    Nate Jones, Vulture, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • Cowardly, unaccountable, pathetic: How much more does anyone really need to know about the incompetence of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System than something that was reported a week ago?
    Chris Powell, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Even by his standards, Trump’s effort to find a scapegoat was pretty pathetic.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But making Anna a music-biz manager trying to keep her heartbroken client Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) from a meltdown on the eve of a big concert at the Wiltern is just a laborious way of wedging Anna’s former band, Pink Slip, into a splashy concert climax.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
  • But his chosen career path ended his life — and nearly killed his heartbroken father, who suffered a stroke upon hearing the news that his son had been gunned down.
    Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 29 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is heartbreaking news for Sanders, who put together an impressive NFL debut during Week 1 of preseason.
    James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The heartbreaking footage of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School was released on Tuesday, Aug. 12, as part of the final records of the incident, which were previously withheld by local authorities.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • This negative sentiment was also felt on both sides of the Atlantic, given their pitiful plummet in popularity.
    Brie Stimson , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 25 July 2025
  • For their part, France produced a pitiful display of football, which deserved nothing less than elimination.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 20 July 2025
Adjective
  • That view shifted Wednesday, with our double upgrade back to our buy-equivalent 1 rating after CEO David Ricks and several other company insiders bought lots of shares of the depressed stock.
    Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Though heartbreaking, the film is rooted in laughter, with Jamie living his life not in a depressed state but rather choosing to live in the moment.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • After the unfortunate withdrawal of U.S. Classic bars champion Myli Lew in podium training, the women’s bars title is even more up for grabs.
    Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The fishermen were forced to abandon the Titan after a series of unfortunate events hit the ship.
    EW.com, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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