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

The wistful ballad showcased Ronstadt’s powerhouse range, culminating in a breathtaking final note. — Rance Collins, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026

Henery and Alex Dow’s guitar riffs steal the show, supporting his words through a wistful, heavy bridge. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026

That's in part because the Slate pickup comes exclusively in two-seat single-cab form, a fact that should only further endear it to wistful lovers of classic small pickups. — New Atlas, 24 June 2026

Sapphire had a wistful look on her face. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026

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