1
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the sad news about our uncle's death made my father cry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
no one expected the supermodel to be a great actress, but her acting is sad beyond belief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 sad
The day when someone wouldn’t automatically associate his folk group the Milk Carton Kids with all those sad images of missing youth splatted across grocery stores in the 1980s.
—
Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
The fiasco is a sad case study of what can happen when the federal government intervenes too harshly in the free market.
—Elaine Parker, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Mendoza is expected to turn that sad narrative around.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
In one sad scene, Floyd and Carol begin to make love, only for Carol to pull away in repulsion.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 24 Apr. 2026
The fiasco is a sad case study of what can happen when the federal government intervenes too harshly in the free market.
—Elaine Parker, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Mendoza is expected to turn that sad narrative around.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
In one sad scene, Floyd and Carol begin to make love, only for Carol to pull away in repulsion.
—Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sad
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad
Adjective
-
Alex Cora was clearly unhappy towards the end.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There were thousands of unhappy Stagecoach festivalgoers on Saturday night, as the approximately 75,000-80,000 guests were forced to evacuate due to high winds.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Floyd’s sincerity, the startling extremity of his concern for the comfort of others, snaps Clark out of his depressed, and depressing, complacency.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That’s already a depressing number.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But as Notes from Underground progresses, his behavior turns from funny to pathetic to downright despicable.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At the end of the book, feeling heartbroken about Marcus’ involvement in Nancy’s death, Mary kills Howard by giving him too many painkillers.—
Max Gao,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The heartbroken mother didn’t want to be identified, fearing for her family’s safety.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Highlanders all-underclass boys team lost four tiebreakers in a heartbreaking 4-3 semifinal loss against Alonso Mourning of Miami.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Now, 34 years later and a registered nurse, the downfall of the hospital is heartbreaking for her.—
Cam'ron Hardy,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the time, experts say, vaguebooking boils down to a pitiful plea for attention on the part of the poster.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers believe inbreeding led to depressed survival rates in pups.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Sam is very depressed and feels lonely and isolated.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even before the president set off this unfortunate round of gerrymandering, Democratic states such as New York and Illinois were already heavily gerrymandered.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
-
He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
