sadness

[sad-nis]

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?

Word History and Origins

Origin of sadness¹

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

Example Sentences

She said she felt "uneasy" and "nervous", as well as "a lot of sadness" discussing the outcry on the Women's Football Weekly podcast.

Read more on BBC

“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the Cowboys said in a statement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Instead, she felt something like sadness about the changes happening to the island.

Read more on Literature

“It is with extreme sadness that the Dallas Cowboys share that Marshawn Kneeland tragically passed away this morning,” the team said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Despite the intensity of the material, Snook describes the “All Her Fault” production as a place where cast members were joking and messing around to counteract the sadness their characters were enduring.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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