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
That's a credit to how Laufey faithfully mines that era with letter-perfect precision and authenticity: from the melodies and lovelorn lyrics to Laufey's wistful and sultry voice.
—
David Chiu, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
What’s different, after 25 years of all that freshly unashamed ABBA love, is that our wistful nostalgia isn’t just for ABBA anymore.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
But with their slower pace of life and wistful air of nostalgia, there’s just something about small towns.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Last night, the rising music hero took on the House of Blues in Anaheim, filling the venue with his nostalgic sounds and wistful anthems as part of his Ultra Sodade tour.
—Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
David Chiu, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
What’s different, after 25 years of all that freshly unashamed ABBA love, is that our wistful nostalgia isn’t just for ABBA anymore.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025
But with their slower pace of life and wistful air of nostalgia, there’s just something about small towns.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Last night, the rising music hero took on the House of Blues in Anaheim, filling the venue with his nostalgic sounds and wistful anthems as part of his Ultra Sodade tour.
—Lucas Villa, Rolling Stone, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wistful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wistful
Adjective
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In the end, the 77th Annual Emmy Awards served as both a nostalgic tribute to television’s rich past and a clear testament to its rapidly evolving future.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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These pants combine the comfort of barrel jeans with the nostalgic details of cargo pants, offering a functional and easy-to-wear design.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Ceiling murals in both rooms have been partly worn or scraped away, leaving a dreamy abstract pattern.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
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The upside, however, to sitting through this questionable season of what has been a mostly dreamy series?—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The three-part Season 5 premiere feels incredibly sloppy to me overall.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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With that history and with Aaron Glenn trying to deliver a message just one game into his head coaching career, Gipson will serve as the example to the rest of the Jets' roster that sloppy turnovers will not be tolerated.—
Michael Hurley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wistful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wistful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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