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wistful

[ wist-fuhl ]
/ ˈwɪst fəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR wistful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
pensive, especially in a melancholy way.

Content related to wistful

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6 Portuguese Terms We Wish Existed in EnglishSometimes we’re at a loss for words, not because we’re speechless, but because no English term lends itself to the situation (or snack) at hand. At those times, we turn to other languages, celebrating them for the concepts we wish we could express so easily in English. Here are some of our favorite words from the Portuguese language. Saudade This untranslatable Portuguese term refers to …
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Words related to wistful

melancholy, sad, pensive, forlorn, nostalgic, thoughtful, dreamy, contemplative, mournful, plaintive, desirous, disconsolate, dreaming, hopeless, meditative, musing, reflective, wishful, yearning

Words nearby wistful

wissler, wissler's syndrome, wist, wister, wisteria, wistful, wisła, wit, witan, witblits, witch

Origin of wistful

1605–15; obsolete wist quiet, silent, attentive (variant of whist2) + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM wistful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wistful

British Dictionary definitions for wistful

wistful
/ (ˈwɪstfʊl) /

adjective

sadly pensive, esp about something yearned for

Derived forms of wistful

wistfully, adverbwistfulness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012