wistfulness

American  

[wist-fuhl-nis] / ˈwɪst fəl nɪs /

noun

1. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• unwistfulness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of wistfulness

wistful ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

These three novellas were written in the 1920s, after the fall of the empire, and in their baroque translation by John Batki they cast back upon bygone times with wistfulness, charm and winking humor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

All of the romance and wistfulness of the concert can’t undo years of heartbreak and resentment.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

Schneider said he and many of those active in the Yiddish scene are alive to the "danger of becoming really wrapped in a ball of nostalgia and wistfulness".

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

It’s rare to simultaneously feel red-hot anger and wistfulness, especially when merely reading a document.

From Slate • Oct. 2, 2024

That particular bitterness was Minya’s, but sometimes he fell prey to wistfulness, too.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• boredom
• despair
• desperation
• despondency
• ennui
• gloom
• grief
• sorrow