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 Postpartum depression can be anxiousness or sadness, tearfulness, difficulty sleeping. — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 The sadness comes from reflecting on how those founders used their newly independent government and military might against Indigenous people. — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026 Instead, the music can provide somewhere to put those feelings, a place where sadness, anger, desire, tenderness and joy can coexist without needing to be immediately resolved. — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 For the downtrodden Falcons, the 20-13 loss to the Steelers on Sunday is just another chapter in a seemingly never-ending story of sadness. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Using artificial intelligence, Salomé revisits decades of family videos in an attempt to understand her mother’s sadness. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Somehow, beneath the surface of some cheerful Schubert song, anxiety and sadness seem to be churning. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026 The worst of them have their wounds and sadness and medical conditions. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Ann Arborites, businesses and those who knew York posted messages of sadness and remembrances of York as being generous, kind and a community stalwart. — Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadness

Noun

On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.

— Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

The work is meant to address the 3- to 6-inch-deep depression on Pocket Road, city spokesperson Carlos Eliason said.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Perpetrators target underage girls, typically between the ages of 10 and 17 years old, often preying on minors already struggling with mental health issues such as depression and suicidal ideation, according to the FBI.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack in separate statements and expressed sorrow over the deaths.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
In direct contradiction to Herzog, Zamir’s office stated that Azaria had never expressed sorrow or remorse about the killing.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Duarte’s writing features detailed prose and a moving storyline, encompassing grief, healing, and the losses borne by a Latinx family in the name of American patriotism.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
State prosecutors told the court that although the attorney general understands the defendant's grief, the case must proceed as a matter of public interest.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

The organization said the discoveries had deepened the anguish of families searching for loved ones.

— Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Their mental anguish, out-of-pocket expenses, the time caregivers devote to their work, the wages lost from forgone work — all create spectacular costs for America’s families.

— Jason Karlawish, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The gloom lifts in one crucial scene, late in the film, in which Sandra and April sit side by side before a bright window.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Inside, we were whisked away to a world of rain and candles and velvet and creepy houses and stormy, witchy gloom.

— Danielle Pergament, Allure, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of gloom

Noun

The post and later comments arrived two months before the midterm elections, where Americans’ unhappiness with persistent high inflation has been a dominant theme.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Allen is among several NFL players who have expressed unhappiness with artificial turf.

— Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of unhappiness

Browse Nearby Words

sadly

sadness

safari

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“Sadness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadness. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sadness

noun

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