as in sad
causing unhappiness
the saddening discovery that something is threatening the birds in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in depressing
to make sad
the arrival of winter always saddens me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of saddening
Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That would be a saddening surrender to might makes right.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The iconic Hollywood Studios archway has been demolished at Walt Disney World, saddening fans.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That would be a saddening surrender to might makes right.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
The news was saddening for Jewell — but also alarming for the defense.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saddening
Adjective
-
And when the detective handed his business card over and explained the situation, the guy was very distraught and very sad.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Thoughts about sad events stopped causing days-long spirals, and tasks that once felt insurmountable were no longer a second thought.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Oop, depressing parental-lore reveal time.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
-
There has also been an appetite from consumers for mobile apps and tech products aimed at combating doomscrolling, or the tendency to scroll excessively online, which often entails heavy consumption of depressing content.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
25 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
If two out of 10 germinate, that’s pathetic.—
Clarence Schmidt,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Even more pathetic was when Maher, who initially had claimed to be a captain, discovered that Yasser’s imaginary rank outranked his own.—
Elizabeth Tsurkov,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
China is poised to win great swathes of the booming European EV market and that is troubling the automakers.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Yet most fans do not care unduly about what a squad costs and while sound financial management is welcomed, the strength of the team is the thing that is troubling them right now.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Their late concession of the winning penalty to Morgan Gibbs-White, above, was unfortunate.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Many unfortunate events were blamed on poison—the unexpected death of an enslaver or a slave, a spate of local deaths due to a virus or other disease, or problems on the plantation such as ill livestock or bad harvests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Times of amazing progress, but also worrying backslides to dogmatic tribal ideologies and an extremely uncertain future.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Homeowners can prep, cook, and bake without worrying about the impact on another room.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saddening. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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