saudade

American  

[soh-dahd, soh-dah-juh] / ˈsoʊˌdɑd, ˈsoʊˌdɑ dʒə /

noun

1. (in Portuguese folk culture) a deep emotional state of melancholic longing for a person or thing that is absent.

   the theme of saudade in literature and music.

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Usage

What does saudade mean? Saudade is a word for a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent. Saudade comes from Portuguese culture, and it is often expressed in its literature and music. Saudade is described as a kind of melancholy yearning. Melancholy means sad, and yearning is a strong, persistent longing or desire, especially for something unattainable. In Portuguese literature and music, saudade is used as a theme or a motif, which is a recurring subject, idea, or element in an artistic work. Saudade is most often discussed in terms of its importance to Portuguese culture and for the supposed difficulty in translating it to English.

Etymology

Origin of saudade

First recorded in 1910–15; from Portuguese: literally, “yearning,” from Latin sōlitāt-, stem of sōlitās “loneliness, solitude” ( Latin -l- between vowels is lost in Portuguese); the original Old Portuguese soidade was changed to saudade by association with saudar “to greet” ( salute ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

In the latest adventure, Obelix -- the menhir delivery man with superhuman strength -- suffers a particularly bad bout of "saudade", and at one point laments: "I'm feeling down while being overjoyed."

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

"I draw a slightly sad look paired with a small smile," said Conrad, explaining his "simple" method of illustrating saudade.

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

In Brazil, we might describe the feeling one gets when experiencing the seemingly contradictory nature of this music — the joyous and painful — as saudade.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2021

This is not so much nostalgia as it a sense of saudade — a longing for something that is absent.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2012

His best friends were dead or scattered, and he was overwhelmed with saudade.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various