wistful

[ wist-fuhl ]
See synonyms for: wistfulwistfullywistfulness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. characterized by melancholy or longing.

  2. pensive, especially in a melancholy way.

Origin of wistful

1
First recorded in 1605–15; obsolete wist “quiet, silent, attentive” (variant of whist2) + -ful

Other words for wistful

Other words from wistful

  • wist·ful·ly, adverb
  • wist·ful·ness, noun
  • un·wist·ful, adjective

Words Nearby wistful

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How to use wistful in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wistful

wistful

/ (ˈwɪstfʊl) /


adjective
  1. sadly pensive, esp about something yearned for

Derived forms of wistful

  • wistfully, adverb
  • wistfulness, noun

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