wistful
Americanadjective
-
characterized by melancholy or longing.
-
pensive, especially in a melancholy way.
- Synonyms:
- forlorn, meditative, musing, contemplative, reflective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wistful
First recorded in 1605–15; obsolete wist “quiet, silent, attentive” (variant of whist 2 ) + -ful
Explanation
Only one letter separates the two words, but "wishful" is having hope for something, and wistful is having sadness or melancholy about something. "Wist" isn't even a word that's used anymore, but you can still be wistful. People who appear wistful often show a longing for something or a look of serious reflection. One way to describe the adjective wistful is as the sad appearance of someone looking back and thinking "if only..." A thoughtful or pensive mood centered on something good in the past that is missed or something not so good in the present that could have been better "if only" something had gone differently — these things make for a wistful outlook.
Vocabulary lists containing wistful
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Aiming at a middle-class magazine readership, Allen takes a wistful view of the previous decade’s optimism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
It was a wistful and exciting moment, a rite of passage for many privileged middle-class parents around this time of year.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
Natalie Cassidy looks wistful as she thinks back to caring for her dying father in his final days.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
All media this week rang with Ted Turner’s achievements, and if you lived through his rise, the sound of his name brought a wistful smile.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
She seemed wistful, almost as if she did have regrets.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
