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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.

The author’s demibiography also reminds us of the sad truth that even great poets have short careers.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I think it’s very sad,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

From Salon

"It's sad to see this, as she was very vocal and really represented the Laos people," said a 30-year-old development worker in the capital Vientiane.

From Barron's

"It makes me a little sad he's growing so fast, but I'm relieved to see he's making friends."

From Barron's

“In the meantime, please keep those impacted in your hearts. ... This was an enormous tragedy, and the saddest event our team has ever experienced.”

From Los Angeles Times