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

See Examples For:

wistfully

On a boat off the coast of California, Sara Lesser gazes wistfully at dozens of dolphins playing in the vessel's wake.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

“The joke is I wanted a great room. I got a good room. It ain’t great,” he says wistfully.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026

Along the way, “Empire of Ink” almost wistfully acknowledges the steady rise of labor unions and new technologies: steam-powered presses, the telegraph and, ultimately, the linotype.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Matt Roush acknowledges that “The gravitas of ‘Task’ and ‘The Testaments’ should help their chances, though I’m wistfully rooting for the thrilling ‘Alien: Earth.’

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

“It was just a wish,” said Penny wistfully.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin