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Sad vs. Wistful — What's the Difference?

Sad vs. Wistful — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Sad and Wistful

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Sad

Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
They looked at her with sad, anxious faces
I was sad and subdued

Wistful

Full of melancholy longing or wishful yearning
"She seemed wistful for the old days when I'd hung around her all the time" (David Huddle).

Sad

Pathetically inadequate or unfashionable
The show is tongue-in-cheek—anyone who takes it seriously is a bit sad

Wistful

Expressing sadness or yearning
"She saw the wisftul eyes grow yet more wistful, the lips curve to a pleading smile" (Dorothy Parker).

Sad

(of dough) heavy through having failed to rise.
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Wistful

Full of longing or yearning.
His eyes grew wistful as he recalled his university days.

Sad

Showing, expressing, or feeling sorrow or unhappiness
A sad face.

Wistful

Sad and thoughtful.

Sad

Causing sorrow or gloom; depressing
A sad movie.
Sad news.

Wistful

Longing; wishful; desirous.
Lifting up one of my sashes, I cast many a wistful, melancholy look towards the sea.

Sad

Deplorable or inadequate; sorry
A sad state of affairs.
A sad excuse.

Wistful

Full of thought; eagerly attentive; meditative; musing; pensive; contemplative.
That he who there at such an hour hath been,Will wistful linger on that hallowed spot.

Sad

Dark-hued; somber.

Wistful

Full of longing or unfulfilled desire;
Those wistful little ads that the lovelorn place in the classifieds

Sad

(heading) Emotionally negative.

Wistful

Showing pensive sadness;
The sensitive and wistful response of a poet to the gentler phases of beauty

Sad

Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
She gets sad when he's away.

Sad

Appearing sorrowful.
The puppy had a sad little face.

Sad

Causing sorrow; lamentable.
It's a sad fact that most rapes go unreported.

Sad

Poor in quality, bad; shameful, deplorable; later, regrettable, poor.
That's the saddest-looking pickup truck I've ever seen.

Sad

Of colours: dark, deep; later, sombre, dull.

Sad

(obsolete) Sated, having had one's fill; satisfied, weary.

Sad

(obsolete) Steadfast, valiant.

Sad

(obsolete) Dignified, serious, grave.

Sad

(obsolete) Naughty; troublesome; wicked.

Sad

(slang) Unfashionable; socially inadequate or undesirable.
I can't believe you use drugs; you're so sad!

Sad

(dialect) Soggy (to refer to pastries).

Sad

(obsolete) Heavy; weighty; ponderous; close; hard.

Sad

To make melancholy; to sadden or grieve (someone).

Sad

Sated; satisfied; weary; tired.
Yet of that art they can not waxen sad,For unto them it is a bitter sweet.

Sad

Heavy; weighty; ponderous; close; hard.
His hand, more sad than lump of lead.
Chalky lands are naturally cold and sad.

Sad

Dull; grave; dark; somber; - said of colors.
Woad, or wade, is used by the dyers to lay the foundation of all sad colors.

Sad

Serious; grave; sober; steadfast; not light or frivolous.
Lady Catharine, a sad and religious woman.
Which treaty was wisely handled by sad and discrete counsel of both parties.

Sad

Affected with grief or unhappiness; cast down with affliction; downcast; gloomy; mournful.
First were we sad, fearing you would not come;Now sadder, that you come so unprovided.
The angelic guards ascended, mute and sad.

Sad

Afflictive; calamitous; causing sorrow; as, a sad accident; a sad misfortune.

Sad

Hence, bad; naughty; troublesome; wicked.

Sad

To make sorrowful; to sadden.
How it sadded the minister's spirits!

Sad

Seasonal affective disorder.

Sad

Experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness;
Feeling sad because his dog had died
Better by far that you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad

Sad

Of things that make you feel sad;
Sad news
She doesn't like sad movies
It was a very sad story
When I am dead, my dearest, / Sing no sad songs for me

Sad

Bad; unfortunate;
My finances were in a deplorable state
A lamentable decision
Her clothes were in sad shape
A sorry state of affairs

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