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. )

Example Sentences

This elusive, tantalizing novel aims for the effect of the raga—to conjure “the sadness, the richness, the pleasure of the waiting and the wandering.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But her sadness is not just about this wooden armchair; it’s about what the chair represents.

From Salon

He said his team experienced "a real sense of sadness" when Noah's body was found because they understood what he had gone through, and they knew "the steps" the schoolboy had taken.

From BBC

“For the longest time I was gravitating between anger and sadness,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

Motherhood became a way to leave behind a childhood steeped in sadness.

From BBC

Related Words

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