sadden

verb

sad·​den ˈsa-dᵊn How to pronounce sadden (audio)
saddened; saddening ˈsad-niŋ How to pronounce sadden (audio)
ˈsa-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make sad

intransitive verb

: to become sad

Examples of sadden in a Sentence

It saddens me that we could not agree. We were saddened to see how ill she looks. She was saddened over the death of her friend. Her face saddened when she heard the news.
Recent Examples on the Web Three of her four children are adolescents (aged 13, 15, and 17), and she’s saddened by the way society often views them as a nuisance, or even a threat. Annie Atherton, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 Kauffman, Crane and executive producer Kevin Bright shared a joint statement with THR, explaining that they were shocked and deeply saddened by Perry’s passing. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2023 Moore said in a statement Friday that attacks on the judiciary threaten the rule of law and that he was deeply saddened by the loss of Wilkinson. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2023 With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, initially centered in the city of Daraa, Mr. Khalifa was saddened to witness the devastation of war and to see his friends leaving, one after another. Hwaida Saad, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023 Jessica was saddened that there weren’t more gifts for teenage girls. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023 The Chevron refinery worker, who leaves his Long Beach home at 4 a.m. for his 10-hour shift in El Segundo before coaching in the evenings, said he was saddened in the days following the theft. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023 My great-great-grandfather was one of the drivers on Flying Scotsman — at the time the fastest steam train in the world — during a record-breaking trip in 1928 from London to Edinburgh, so I feel oddly saddened by the decision to cancel plans to build the Birmingham-to-Manchester high-speed line. Mark Thompson, CNN, 5 Oct. 2023 Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said in a statement he was saddened by the news Anderegg was stepping down. Bryan Schott, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sadden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of sadden was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near sadden

Cite this Entry

“Sadden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sadden. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

sadden

verb
sad·​den ˈsad-ᵊn How to pronounce sadden (audio)
saddened; saddening -niŋ How to pronounce sadden (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become sad

More from Merriam-Webster on sadden

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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