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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Recent Examples of sadness
There’s both comfort in finding myself in that child’s face, and also sadness.
—
Benny Peterson, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Amid the sadness and uncertainty, though, one moment captured the aviation community rallying around its own.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
In many cases, survival required suppressing fear, sadness and even physical pain.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Fans of the historic store were quick to express their sadness at the decision on social media and share their own memories of shopping at Lammes.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Not every story of mothers and near-mothers and never-mothers ends in sadness.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
While for some, black holds negative connotations of sadness, the color is also associated with authority, power, strength, and sophistication.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026
The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?
—Redazione People, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Benny Peterson, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Amid the sadness and uncertainty, though, one moment captured the aviation community rallying around its own.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
In many cases, survival required suppressing fear, sadness and even physical pain.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Fans of the historic store were quick to express their sadness at the decision on social media and share their own memories of shopping at Lammes.
—Clare Fisher, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Not every story of mothers and near-mothers and never-mothers ends in sadness.
—Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
While for some, black holds negative connotations of sadness, the color is also associated with authority, power, strength, and sophistication.
—Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026
The scene where Artax the horse gets stuck in the swamps of sadness?
—Redazione People, Vanity Fair, 27 Apr. 2026
Family members said it’s been a long road of frustration, agony and sadness watching Hitchcock’s death sentences get overturned three times amid the nearly a dozen appeals his attorneys have filed over the decades.
—Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadness
Noun
-
His reputation, as captured by obituaries in the Guardian and the Times of London, is one of genteel melancholy and precise social observation.—
Charlie Tyson,
Harpers Magazine,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Still, the achievement carried a touch of melancholy for Lovell.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The accident also caused other issues, including her short-term memory and balance, and led to a bout of depression.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
-
Black people experience higher levels of early-life post-traumatic stress than white people and are more likely to suffer from chronic depression later in life.—
Jerel Ezell,
STAT,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Unique is meant to embody that racial trauma, but Moore doesn’t possess the grit necessary to make the pain and sorrow resonate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
The reader feels the moment’s vitality and presence, and the sorrow at its loss, but not because Ford insists on it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though Hathaway’s performance registers the harrowing contradictions of grief responses, the movie around her lacks the confidence to go darker.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Though attendees are visibly upset, there is no open casket, eulogy or any harping on grief.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
That last sentence comes out choked with anguish, his voice breaking on the final word.—
Amy Driscoll,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
-
The $10 million in noneconomic damages was for issues including pain and suffering and mental anguish.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hope springs eternal in Mamdaniland Despite all the doom and gloom in Mets Nation right now, there are still 140 games left to play in the regular season, a point Mamdani emphasized on Tuesday.—
Jeff Capellini,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
And Sahm told Fortune the gloom isn’t just about this spring.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But Mizrachi sees potential for Pensacola in some of the same forces that are luring Jews to Boca and Aventure — including unhappiness among New Yorkers with the city’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani.—
Larry Luxner,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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Nazarian also discussed the importance of addressing the psychological component of plastic surgery, noting that no procedure will fix underlying unhappiness.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The misery wrought by insurgents in largely ungoverned spaces will push people to flee.—
Ulf Laessing,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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But complications can extend the misery well beyond the visible rash.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sadness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadness. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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