Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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.

So it’s a little bit sad to not have him here this week.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

"I fear that I would have ended up being a world champion but a very depressed, sad and miserable world champion."

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

"It's truly very sad to know people had to abandon homes built over a lifetime, unsure if they will ever return."

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

If she weren’t such an indefensible character, Bondi’s efforts to save her job would be sad.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

“I was busy and sad and that’s no excuse, but I missed you and I’m back now, so don’t worry.”

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.