Synonyms of wistful

wistful

adjective

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.

Related Words

• nostalgic
• dreamy
• sloppy
• moony
• sentimental
• misty-eyed
• wet
• sticky
• moonstruck
• melodramatic
• starry-eyed
• mawkish
• soapy
• maudlin
• schmaltzy
• cloying
• saccharine
• sudsy
• sappy
• drippy
• gooey
• sugary
• soppy
• mushy
• corny
• soap-operatic
• chocolate-box
• cutesy
• sugarcoated
• slushy
• lovey-dovey
• soupy
• spoony
• twee
• fruity
• novelettish

Dissimilar Words

• cynical
• hardheaded
• unsentimental
• hard-edged
• hard-boiled
• antisentimental

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wistful

Director Michiel Van Erp draws memorable performances from his cast while screenwriter Frank Houtappels’ wistful story reminds us of a bygone era and how reconciling with your past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 June 2026

For those in attendance, the singer performed the hit song Tuesday for the first time, taking the stage in a floor-length gown to play a piano rendition of the wistful track. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2026

As zany and wistful as Faye Wong, only shorter. — Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

And Rudd, as the happy mid-lifer who can’t help wanting a little more, is appealing in that characteristically boyish, Rudd-like way, though there’s also something deeply wistful about him. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026

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