wistfully

American  

[wist-fuh-lee] / ˈwɪst fə li /

adverb

1. in a way that is characterized by melancholy or longing; pensively.

   As soon as the first colored leaves appear, people start to speak wistfully of the last days of summer.

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Other Word Forms

• unwistfully adverb

Etymology

Origin of wistfully

First recorded in 1660–70; wistful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )

Explanation

Wistfully describes something that's done with longing or regret. You might smile wistfully while sitting on a train that's pulling away from the station, leaving your hometown behind. If there's a vague sense of yearning behind an action, you can say it's done wistfully. People sigh wistfully, gaze wistfully, and wave goodbye wistfully — thinking about the past or what you are leaving behind with a little bit of sadness. In the 1600s, wistfully had a completely different meaning — from the now-obsolete word wist, or intent — done with close attention. It gained today's meaning in the early 1700s.

Example Sentences

Days later, the conservative and lifelong Atlanticist wistfully called on Germans to put aside nostalgia for an America they had known and loved for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

At one point, he remarks wistfully that forests don’t smell the way they used to.

From Slate • Nov. 12, 2025

"He was 19. He's flying now," Mackesy says wistfully.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2025

“We’d seen a lot of bands there, so playing there was like the dream,” the singer says wistfully of those early days.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2025

“My dad wanted to take me to Greece this summer,” she said wistfully.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan