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

Wistfully, we still wear the logo caps and the fading T-shirts.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 28, 2023

Wistfully, warily, Allison observes, “What is a dream but a hope you hold onto?/A lie that you wish would come true.”

From New York Times • Jun. 23, 2022

Wistfully, he looked up at the sky and inhaled, as if exhilarated by the sight.

From Washington Times • Jun. 30, 2018

Wistfully, she sings a calypso-like wartime ditty that reflects the warmth many then felt: “Sam, my dear Uncle Sam, would you please come back to Guam,” it goes.

From Time • Aug. 16, 2017

Wistfully the woman asked Katie not to let it get damp or cold, to leave the bedroom doors open in winter so a little heat would get through from the kitchen and prevent warping.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith