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 That was my only coping mechanism for that level of fear and sadness was drugs. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 June 2026 There’s a frank sadness to nearly every scene, but also a tenderness and warmth between these two unlikely friends. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 Now our tears flow in sadness, but also with gratitude for all the beautiful memories of our sweet, kind, hilarious, cherished Bob. — Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 24 June 2026 Nonetheless, Simón stirs up the ineffable sadness that comes with wanting answers to the mysteries of your family — and then, like it or not, receiving them. — Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 In the book, Johnson acknowledges disappointment and sadness, not seeing his Penney’s strategy play out. — David Moin, Footwear News, 26 June 2026 Customers congratulated the couple on their retirement, but also expressed sadness and memories of The Coach Stop. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 Psychologists find that those who accept feelings like anger, sadness, or anxiety with curiosity and nonjudgment, rather than suppressing them, experience better psychological health over time. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Working again with collaborators Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Shahzad Ismaily (Ceramic Dog) and joined by Nick Hakim and drummer Tom Skinner (the Smile), Orton uses The Ground Above to create weighty songs that deal with both joy and sadness. — David Harris, SPIN, 29 June 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 pair went all the way down to a 43-mile-wide and 1,500-mile-long depression in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, known as the Challenger Deep.

— Bill Gourgey, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
The victim's mother also addressed the jury, blaming Rullan for her son's depression and anxiety and describing the emotional toll the abuse had taken on their family.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the victims' families.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Croatia’s World Cup exit was not without a fight, with a last-minute, stoppage time goal that likely had fans screaming at the TV in jubilation, and then in sorrow.

— Alex Connor, USA Today, 3 July 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music.

— Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
This town has known seasons of many stripes, from that autumn of grief after 9/11 to that spring of solitude and trepidation as COVID-19 first emerged.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

Some mourners, gathering at the funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, expressed both anguish and a desire for vengeance.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
And with that decision, the company narrowed the chance that the mother’s anguish could draw attention to any danger the formula might pose to other infants.

— David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of anguish

Noun

The broader mood tracks right alongside, with 40% expecting AI to be bad for society over the next twenty years against 16% who expect good, the gloom running deepest among adults under 30, and 63% saying the whole thing is moving too fast.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
The partying turned to gloom after the temblors.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026

Definition of gloom

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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 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of sadness

noun

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