sadness

American  

[sad-nis] / ˈsæd nɪs /

noun

1. the quality or state of being sad; sorrow.

   It’s frustrating to know the sadness you’re feeling and not be able to help you.

2. an instance of sorrow.

   How can you be so unaware of the sadnesses these children have experienced?

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Etymology

Origin of sadness

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sadnesse; sad ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Someone who's blue feels sadness, like a little girl whose best friend has moved away. Use the noun sadness when you're talking about sorrow. Sadness may be the overwhelming mood at a funeral, for example, or an elderly man might describe his life's greatest sadness as letting his childhood sweetheart get away. An interesting thing about sadness is that its original meaning was "seriousness." It wasn't until the 1600s that it came to mean "full of sorrow."

Example Sentences

"Many people in the community are feeling a mix of sadness, anger, and loss, and I have no intention of adding judgment to anyone."

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Mr. Ferrer’s definitive statement on her life captures both her strength and her sadness: “She never stopped trying on every level to please, to be happy, and to be loved.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

“It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood, my husband of 25 years, we knew each other for 36 years,” Brogan wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

Faces in the crowd were filled with gloom and sadness as mourners waited for the Hezbollah-organised ceremony to begin.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

“Nothing, hijica. I’m sure it is the emotion of leaving our home. At night, the pain and the sadness catch up with me.”

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• anguish
• grief
• heartache
• heartbreak
• hopelessness
• melancholy
• misery
• mourning
• poignancy
• sorrow