Dictionary

sadness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈsædnəs/

Etymology

From Middle English sadnesse, equivalent to sad + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The state or emotion of being sad.
   • The compassion to yourself comes in validating the feelings your inner child is having –– the stress, fear, anger or sadness — and make adult decisions about the best way to move forward, Lev said. 2025 April 28, Madeline Holcombe, “It might be time to ‘reparent’ yourself. Here’s how to get started”, in CNN:
   • But sorrow that is couch'd in seeming gladness Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness. c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • The survey found increasing mental health challenges, experiences of violence, and suicidal thoughts and behavior among all teens. More than 40% of high school students said that feelings of sadness or hopelessness prevented them from engaging in their regular activities for at least two weeks of the year. 2023 February 13, Deidre McPhillips, “Teens, especially girls, are experiencing more violence, suicidal thoughts and mental health challenges, CDC survey finds”, in CNN:
   • I mean not then under the name of Sadneſs to defend effeminate Bewailings and Lamentations; let them that ſubject themſelves to this weakeſt Impatience, be alſo ſubject to the Lycian Law, that bound theſe kind of Lamenters to be array'd like Women: […] 1707, John Dunton, “Mourning Joy: or a Paradox in Praiſe of Sadneſs”, in Athenian Sport[:] […] , page 423:
2. (countable) An event in one's life that causes sadness.
   • She has experienced many sadnesses in her forty years.

Forms

Antonyms

happiness

Hypernyms

emotion

Hyponyms

loneliness · remorse · hopelessness · compassion

Synonyms

affliction · mirthless · melancholy · ruth · blueness · rue · woefare · downheartedness · vexation · wrong · grievance · mishappiness · despondency · distress · unhappiness · woe · forlornness · depression · sorrowfulness · ill-being · prosternation · woe · infelicity · tristesse · undelight · regret · misfortune · heartsore · hardship · grief · melancholia · tristfulness · woe · melancholy · forlornness · drearihead · misery · sadness · distress · dolefulness · aggrievance · crestfallenness · grief · wretchedness · ruth · blues · undelight · dejection · sorrow · sadness · misery · sorrow · mourn

Translations (147)

sh túga (state/emotion) · it tristezza (state/emotion) · ko 슬픔 (state/emotion) · shi taguḍi (state/emotion) · nb vemod (state/emotion) · ur دکھ (state/emotion) · vi sự buồn rầu (state/emotion) · arz اسف (state/emotion) · sk smútok (state/emotion) · bn বেজার (state/emotion) · de Pech (event causing sadness) · tr üzgünlük (state/emotion) · sh жа̏ло̄ст (state/emotion) · es infortunio (event causing sadness) · fr tristesse (state/emotion) · km សេចក្ដីព្រួយ (state/emotion) · pnb دکھ (state/emotion) · ru уны́ние (state/emotion) · lv skumjums (state/emotion) · bg скръб (state/emotion) · fi suru (event causing sadness) · he עצב (state/emotion) · ka მოწყენილობა (state/emotion) · ka მწუხარება (state/emotion) · kk шер (state/emotion) · tl lungkot (state/emotion) · be сму́так (state/emotion) · fr malheur (event causing sadness) · sk zármutok (state/emotion) · bn দেরেগ (state/emotion) · el λύπη (state/emotion) · ba эс бошоу (state/emotion) · sh žȁlōst (state/emotion) · hu üröm (state/emotion) · is sorg (state/emotion) · ckb خەفەت (state/emotion) · ceb kasubo (state/emotion) · et kurbus (state/emotion) · kk уайым (state/emotion) · tr üzüntü (state/emotion) · hi दुःख (state/emotion) · ru грусть (state/emotion) · cy tristwch (state/emotion) · tl kalungkutan (state/emotion) · gd truime (state/emotion) · id kesedihan (state/emotion) · mh kabūrom̧ōj (event causing sadness) · be печа́ль (state/emotion) · hy տխրություն (state/emotion) · pa ਦੁਖ (state/emotion) · ru печа́ль (state/emotion) · sw huzuni (state/emotion) · da sørgmodighed (state/emotion) · th ความเศร้า (state/emotion) · lo ຄວາມໂສກເສົ້າ (state/emotion) · pl smutek (state/emotion) · gd dubhachas (state/emotion) · cmn 悲哀 (state/emotion) · uk печа́ль (state/emotion) · ca tristesa (state/emotion) · es desgracia (event causing sadness) · lt liūdesys (state/emotion) · fi surullisuus (state/emotion) · gur sũ-sã'aŋɔ (state/emotion) · hy թախիծ (state/emotion) · oc tristor (state/emotion) · kk мұң (state/emotion) · eo malĝojo (state/emotion) · pt tristeza (state/emotion) · fa غمگینی (state/emotion) · mi pōuritanga (state/emotion) · ki kĩeha (state/emotion) · qu llakiy (state/emotion) · sl žalost (state/emotion) · gl tristeza (state/emotion) · ro tristețe (state/emotion) · ka ნაღველი (state/emotion) · bn গোসা (state/emotion) · war kasubo (state/emotion) · mi matarehu (state/emotion) · gd gruaim (state/emotion) · nl droefenis (state/emotion) · hi ग़म (state/emotion) · cmn 悲傷的事情 /悲伤的事情 (event causing sadness) · bn দুঃখ (state/emotion) · got 𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌲𐍉 (state/emotion) · nb sorg (state/emotion) · mi hinapouri (state/emotion) · mk тага (state/emotion) · th ความทุกข์ (state/emotion) · zdj huzuni (state/emotion) · oc tristesa (state/emotion) · got 𐌰𐌲𐌻𐍉 (state/emotion) · lv skumjas (state/emotion) · as বেজাৰ (state/emotion) · ast tristura (state/emotion) · ba бошонҡолоҡ (state/emotion) · hu szomorúság (state/emotion) · es tristeza (state/emotion) · la trīstitia (state/emotion) · mh būrom̧ōj (state/emotion) · da bedrøvelse (state/emotion) · pro tristicia (state/emotion) · br tristidigezh (state/emotion) · sw huzuni (event causing sadness) · nn sorg (state/emotion) · sv sorgsenhet (state/emotion) · nn vemod (state/emotion) · de Schicksalsschlag (event causing sadness) · sh ту́га (state/emotion) · no melankoli (state/emotion) · ar حُزْن (state/emotion) · es engurrio (state/emotion) · gd mulad (state/emotion) · az kədər (state/emotion) · ang drēoriġnes (state/emotion) · ba һағыш (state/emotion) · nl verdriet (state/emotion) · oc tristum (state/emotion) · gd bròn (state/emotion) · as দুখ (state/emotion) · io chagreno (state/emotion) · ba моң (state/emotion) · ga brón (state/emotion) · gd cianalas (state/emotion) · gv anghennallys (state/emotion) · enm reuþe (state/emotion) · de Traurigkeit (state/emotion) · cmn 悲傷 /悲伤 (state/emotion) · ca tristor (state/emotion) · ka სევდა (state/emotion) · az hüzn (state/emotion) · uk сму́ток (state/emotion) · cs smutek (state/emotion) · pa ਦੁੱਖ (state/emotion) · nb tristhet (state/emotion) · ga cumha (state/emotion) · ja 悲しみ (state/emotion) · tr üzüntü (event causing sadness) · gd tùirse (state/emotion) · lv skumība (state/emotion) · hi उदासी (state/emotion) · da tristhed (state/emotion) · bg печа́л (state/emotion) · vi buồn (state/emotion) · ru тоска́ (state/emotion) · bn নারাজী (state/emotion)