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

Mescal, especially, makes sadness vibrate as the plot takes us to Italy then London and back, and time apart comes to mean something entirely different than a pause between sung verses.

From Los Angeles Times

Jonathan Glazier, a TV executive and writer who has worked on dozens of shows including the Generation Game and Gladiators, expresses his sadness at the slow disappearance of TV's shared moments.

From BBC

Internally, there was sadness at how it ended.

From BBC

Ruffalo proved in “I Know This Much Is True” that he can wear sadness like a second skin.

From Salon

"There's a sense of tiredness mixed with the sadness," Mr Patel says.

From BBC

Related Words

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