SADNESS Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

sadness

noun

Definition of sadness

as in melancholy

a state or spell of low spirits she was filled with sadness at the thought of having to leave her family

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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 sadness Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Survey findings About 28% of Gaston respondents reported moderate or higher levels of negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger or boredom, compared with roughly 10% in Union, Venkitasubramanian said. — Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026 As much an acknowledgment of survival as a rallying cry, the song draws out sadness as well as satisfaction from the audience. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Following his passing, those who knew Mateucci have expressed their deep sadness at the accident and spoken highly of the late rector. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 22 Oct. 2026 In Italian, malinconia evokes a softer, more nostalgic feeling than pure sadness, an appropriate descriptor as the room evokes the good days of the analogue era. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Those visual gags feel like an odd fit for the material; Ishiguro is known more for low-grade existential sadness than slapstick. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 And that primary experience was pain and sadness and a deeper sense of heartbrokenness. — Casper Ter Kuile, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026 What was intended to be a day of camaraderie, tradition and celebration has been marked by profound sadness. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadness

Noun

The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.

— Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

By contrast, Alzheimer’s disease typically is associated with memory and language loss, and is more associated with apathy and depression than with anxiety.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
The authors note that high-functioning depression is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions.

— Allison Aubrey, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

And Saturday, with the game temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Gators couldn’t even drown their sorrows in the usual Jacksonville sunshine.

— Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Oct. 2026
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and called for a prompt, transparent investigation to determine the cause, according to a statement from his office.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

The death was met by a swell of grief, including from former Mexican leaders across the political spectrum.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Harvard Health’s advice on coping with holiday grief suggests adjusting celebrations or starting new traditions when old ones feel too painful.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

Better Over Time should give him an opportunity to expunge his anguish and, if not necessarily heal, then find clarity on why his preternatural talent has brought a mixture of blessings and frustration.

— Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
His role as a theater director in ‘The Debut,’ isn’t the showstopping kind, but it is made memorable for the actor’s moments of tenacity, anguish and vulnerability.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

His dip in the polling this month seems less attributable to any new policy position or statements than to just a general gloom among California residents about the state’s direction, Baldassare said.

— Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
The director general was attempting to lift the gloom after being beset with questions from anxious employees about job losses, service reductions, and general retrenchment.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of gloom

Noun

With these blue collar parents’ grade-school-age son a tangibly quiet presence, a seemingly impassable unhappiness oozes from the opening scenes.

— Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
But somehow, in the midst of all this frat-boy revelry, Ilya is able to outline his vision for the future, one in which AI will have solved numerous human problems, including eradicating not only cancer but also loneliness and unhappiness.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unhappiness

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sadly

sadness

safari

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“Sadness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadness. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of sadness

noun

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