as in nostalgic
showing or evoking a sad longing for an often idealized past
She felt wistful looking through her college yearbook, remembering old friends she had not seen in decades.
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Recent Examples of wistful
If the musicians’ visibility and viability has shifted, Sparks’ music remains inventive, brainy and flamboyant pop, often born of sunshiny moments and wistful memories that wend their way into lyrics.
—
Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Shot in Galicia, a landscape of rocky coasts and salty-blue air, this loosely biographical third feature from Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón, part of the Cannes competition slate, has a wistful, earthy glow.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 May 2025
In an age shadowed by the climate crisis, fraying social bonds and political rupture, what’s needed isn’t a neoclassical revival or a wistful retreat to the Lyceum.
—January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
But the Administration’s clip stripped the words of their wistful energy and doubleness of meaning and prefigured its intent to impose a single, cruel interpretation on a human being.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Katherine Turman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Shot in Galicia, a landscape of rocky coasts and salty-blue air, this loosely biographical third feature from Catalan filmmaker Carla Simón, part of the Cannes competition slate, has a wistful, earthy glow.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 May 2025
In an age shadowed by the climate crisis, fraying social bonds and political rupture, what’s needed isn’t a neoclassical revival or a wistful retreat to the Lyceum.
—January Lavoy Krish Seenivasan Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 3 May 2025
But the Administration’s clip stripped the words of their wistful energy and doubleness of meaning and prefigured its intent to impose a single, cruel interpretation on a human being.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wistful
Adjective
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Why had she been forgotten, when her peers had lingered on as nostalgic figures, totems of a safer, simpler time?—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
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Corey Feldman, Sean Astin and Ke Huy Quan were among the stars who took a moment to reflect on the major milestone Feldman documented his nostalgic visit to Astoria, Oregon, where the 1985 movie was filmed The Goonies turns 40!—
Grace Harrington,
People.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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On Addison, Rae’s eclectic intentions are loud and clear: to create a distinctive, dreamy soundscape that brings her album moodboards to life — and, naturally, make fun music for people to dance to.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
6 June 2025
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Getting to collaborate with him on these movies was dreamy.—
Breanne L. Heldman,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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There were loud boos at half-time, a smattering in the closing minutes and a few more at the final whistle as England played without any real intensity, were sloppy in possession and struggled to break down a team more than happy to sit everyone behind the ball.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
8 June 2025
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Though her level of play has vacillated between sharp and sloppy throughout the tournament, Gauff was mostly dialed in against Boisson, who captivated the Parisian crowds in recent days.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wistful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wistful. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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