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Synonyms

sad

1 American  
[sad] / sæd /

adjective

sadder, saddest
  1. affected by unhappiness or grief; sorrowful or mournful.

    to feel sad because a close friend has moved away.

    Synonyms:
    melancholy, dejected, depressed, downhearted, downcast, gloomy, discouraged, disconsolate, despondent, unhappy
    Antonyms:
    happy
  2. expressive of or characterized by sorrow.

    sad looks;

    a sad song.

  3. causing sorrow.

    a sad disappointment;

    sad news.

  4. (of color) somber, dark, or dull; drab.

  5. deplorably bad; sorry.

    a sad attempt.

  6. Obsolete. firm or steadfast.


sād 2 American  
[sahd] / sɑd /

noun

  1. the 14th letter of the Arabic alphabet.


SAD 3 American  
  1. seasonal affective disorder.


sad 1 British  
/ sæd /

adjective

  1. feeling sorrow; unhappy

  2. causing, suggestive, or expressive of such feelings

    a sad story

  3. unfortunate; unsatisfactory; shabby; deplorable

    her clothes were in a sad state

  4. informal ludicrously contemptible; pathetic

    he's a sad, boring little wimp

  5. (of pastry, cakes, etc) not having risen fully; heavy

  6. (of a colour) lacking brightness; dull or dark

  7. archaic serious; grave

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to express sadness or displeasure strongly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
SAD 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. seasonal affective disorder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • sadly adverb
  • sadness noun

Etymology

Origin of sad1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English sæd “grave, heavy, weary,” originally “sated, full”; cognate with German satt, Gothic saths “full, satisfied”; akin to Latin satis “enough,” satur “sated,” Greek hádēn “enough.” See satiate, saturate

Origin of sād2

From Arabic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Shiv says when her estranged husband offers to hold the phone up to Logan’s ear, before uttering some of the saddest words she’s ever said: “Are you just being nice to me?”

From Salon

She praised the volunteers as amazing for trying to help the horse during what was "such a sad, horrible traumatic night".

From BBC

Meanwhile, there was sad news as Envoi Allen - a three-time Cheltenham Festival winner - died after falling ill following Friday's feature race.

From BBC

When one three-year-old told Gabbo: "I'm sad," it replied: "Don't worry! I'm a happy little bot. Let's keep the fun going. What shall we talk about next?"

From BBC

Lady Diana asks, following that up by wondering, “Why are you so sad?”

From Los Angeles Times