wistfulness

[ wist-fuhl-nis ]

noun

a mental state or emotion characterized by melancholy, longing, or pensiveness, or an instance of this:The film’s visuals occasionally aspire to the dark contours of a graphic novel, and, at other times, evoke the wistfulness of a watercolor painting.It's an extreme novel that conveys its dark message with heart and many moments of wistfulness.

Origin of wistfulness

On some level, I can’t help but feel a wistful curiosity about a new Harry Potter series, because I still love the Harry Potter characters and universe.
Can more Harry Potter ever be okay? | Aja Romano | February 1, 2021 | Vox
I became wistful just test-driving them, wishing these vehicles could ferry family and friends to lively get-togethers.
Fun haulers | Joe Phillips | December 19, 2020 | Washington Blade
“We know already about how the holidays can be particularly triggering for people if you’re already feeling lonely or wistful, if you’ve lost a loved one or a close friend,” she says.
The Zoom-fatigued person’s guide to connecting virtually on Thanksgiving | Tanya Basu | November 24, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
They always had a wistful, bleary, but satisfied look when they looked around.
If you’re thinking of a drastic lifestyle change, ‘Off Grid Life’ will feed your fantasy (or kill it) | Tim Smith | October 30, 2020 | Washington Post
But the words “responsible” and “Republican” are no longer typeable together except in moods of mockery, or at least wistfulness.
Obama's Budget Betrayal | Eric Alterman | February 15, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

That gave last night's dinner with Ahmadinejad an air of wistfulness tinged with growing fear.
My Dinner With Ahmadinejad | Stephen Kinzer | September 23, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Winston smiled, though there was a wistfulness in his eyes as he saw the faint bewilderment in his companions' faces.
Winston of the Prairie | Harold Bindloss
For at least five minutes he stood without moving, his whole face softened into a boyish wistfulness.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
She rose at this, turning her eyes about the room as if from the extremity of martyrdom or the wistfulness of some deep thought.
The Awkward Age | Henry James
She always suggested tea before the hour, and her friend always, but with so different a wistfulness, rang for it.
The Awkward Age | Henry James
I was awake at once––wide awake for him: moved by the wistfulness of this appeal to some perception of his need.
The Cruise of the Shining Light | Norman Duncan

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