SADNESS Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

sadness

noun

Definition of sadness

as in melancholy

a state or spell of low spirits she was filled with sadness at the thought of having to leave her family

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sadness For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration. — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026 But our frustrations and inconvenience pale in comparison to the sadness of those who knew the deceased or to the trauma the drivers involved experienced. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026 They were likewise asked to self-report feelings of sadness and depression. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The study, published in the journal iScience, found that the pets process happy, scared, and angry emotions differently and that dogs can interpret differences between negative emotions, such as fear and sadness or fear and anger. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026 But the steady supply of sadness, regret, pain and loss that Karol G dishes out in Me Arrepiento is not customary. — Leila Cobo, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026 Social media is full of people — including celebrities like her goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, as well as millions of fans who never met her — sharing their deep sadness at her passing. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 27 Aug. 2026 But negative sentiment –— such as expressing frustration or sadness — slightly decreased it. — Elise Haulund, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sadness

Noun

Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.

— Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.

— Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026

Definition of melancholy

Noun

The glacier was likely a cirque glacier, the officials said, which is a glacier that has formed in a depression or basin high in the mountains.

— Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026
Sprague said the motive in the killings came down to giving Clancy a way out of her depression.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

The day ended in that same quad with feelings of sorrow, grief, shock and confusion.

— PJ Green August 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
Going back to the Mets example, perhaps in an uber-technical sense a Mets’ loss could have marginal economic impact as some fans guzzle more beer to drown away their sorrows.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

Moving between Paris and Belo Horizonte, the film explores grief, migration, Black identity and the invisible ties connecting women across generations.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Asked about previously describing the aftermath as losing more than half of his family — including Nick — Jake acknowledged that his brother’s arrest has compounded his grief.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

For Alex’s family, those seven months have done little to dull the anguish over what happened to him — or their determination to see the two officers who fired the shots held responsible.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Some say there is a fine line between anguish or sadness — and laughter.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

Bees avoid the gloom of the understory—with few flowers, there’s little to entice them—but wasps don’t mind it, and are attracted to the helleborines by the promise of an intoxicating nectar (itself made by a symbiosis with fungi).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2026
Amid the gloom, one local nonprofit group is working to celebrate iconic cartoons to support the animators of today — and remind people of the joy of animation.

— Marah Eakin, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of gloom

Noun

Overall, though, the extent of unhappiness over pricing appears to be relatively mixed, with most clubs’ supporters’ trusts and groups having more limited grumbles.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The more pragmatic camp argues that maintaining unity during the war requires addressing the public's unhappiness over the economy as well as political and social repression.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of unhappiness

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sadly

sadness

safari

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“Sadness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sadness. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sadness

noun

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