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
Their songs veer from bass-heavy pop, to hip-hop swagger, to wistful ballads that can break your heart in just one verse.
—
Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Trump, like any wistful ex, is keeping his options open.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
But there’s also something wistful about it, as if its characters had glimpsed a possibility of freedom, unity, and happiness that, nearly 100 years later, is still out of reach.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
The wistful cover makes the case for focusing more on the ballad and less on the power, aspect associated with the passionate love song.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Jae-Ha Kim, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Trump, like any wistful ex, is keeping his options open.
—William Pesek, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
But there’s also something wistful about it, as if its characters had glimpsed a possibility of freedom, unity, and happiness that, nearly 100 years later, is still out of reach.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 4 June 2025
The wistful cover makes the case for focusing more on the ballad and less on the power, aspect associated with the passionate love song.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wistful
Adjective
-
Phaedra gives us a nostalgic update on her youngest son, Dylan, a.k.a.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
23 June 2025
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Enjoy the nostalgic flavors of childhood once again.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Aries is bold, pioneering and direct, while Neptune is dreamy, elusive and idealistic.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
18 June 2025
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Unlike the dreamy, colorful Impressionists whose work was the talk of the capital, Cézanne’s experimental painting had trouble finding a sweet spot with the public, critics, and collectors.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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Crystal Skull is easily Spielberg’s laziest, sloppiest work — even the action sequences seem phoned-in — and it’s filled with unforgivable howlers: Shia LaBeouf’s limp attempt at being a bad boy, Cate Blanchett’s hammy villain, the goddamn fridge scene.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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The Cardinals took full advantage of the sloppy inning, scoring five runs on the way to clobbering the Sox 12-2 in front of 16,974 at Rate Field.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wistful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wistful. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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