wistfully

American  

[wist-fuh-lee] / ˈwɪst fə li /

adverb

1. in a way that is characterized by melancholy or longing; pensively.

   As soon as the first colored leaves appear, people start to speak wistfully of the last days of summer.

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Other Word Forms

• unwistfully
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wistfully

First recorded in 1660–70; wistful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

Wistfully describes something that's done with longing or regret. You might smile wistfully while sitting on a train that's pulling away from the station, leaving your hometown behind. If there's a vague sense of yearning behind an action, you can say it's done wistfully. People sigh wistfully, gaze wistfully, and wave goodbye wistfully — thinking about the past or what you are leaving behind with a little bit of sadness. In the 1600s, wistfully had a completely different meaning — from the now-obsolete word wist, or intent — done with close attention. It gained today's meaning in the early 1700s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wistfully

"Maybe in another half year, it can do another task," Pang says, smiling wistfully.

From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026

On a boat off the coast of California, Sara Lesser gazes wistfully at dozens of dolphins playing in the vessel's wake.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Gently pulling down the pictures, taken on the beach day they made their relationship official, Charlie smiles wistfully at their younger selves: “We look like babies.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

“The joke is I wanted a great room. I got a good room. It ain’t great,” he says wistfully.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

We sit on the balcony, waiting for Papá to return from his prayers, and Mamá turns away wistfully and looks out to the sea as if the sea could give her the answer.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar