as in sad
causing unhappiness
the saddening discovery that something is threatening the birds in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in depressing
to make sad
the arrival of winter always saddens me
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of saddening
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The iconic Hollywood Studios archway has been demolished at Walt Disney World, saddening fans.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That would be a saddening surrender to might makes right.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
One of the more saddening aspects of Animol (a misspelled word seen carved into a cell wall in solitary) is the change in Troy’s gaze — from alert and observant to constantly on edge, his eyes almost involuntarily darting in every direction at once to spot a threat.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Robert Lloyd, Houston Chronicle, 4 Feb. 2026
Gates has assembled a stimulating, illuminating, maddening, saddening, but often inspiring, story of their relations with the world and one another.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The iconic Hollywood Studios archway has been demolished at Walt Disney World, saddening fans.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
That would be a saddening surrender to might makes right.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Aug. 2025
One of the more saddening aspects of Animol (a misspelled word seen carved into a cell wall in solitary) is the change in Troy’s gaze — from alert and observant to constantly on edge, his eyes almost involuntarily darting in every direction at once to spot a threat.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Verb
The news was saddening for Jewell — but also alarming for the defense.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saddening
Adjective
-
Back in the city, Amanda and Ciara go for a walk so that Amanda can hear all about the makeup with West and then tell Ciara the very sad tale of her love story as it was related to their couple’s therapist.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2026
-
None at all leads to slow, pale, sad-looking growth that limps through the season.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Aside from the exclusivity, part of the appeal also comes from great marketing and the personalities of the sad boys themselves, who embrace the image of the lonely pint, eaten as a pick-me-up during depressing moments in life.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The perky response of Hungary’s currency and equity markets, at a time when war in the Gulf is depressing asset prices everywhere, shows Orbanism clearly wasn’t working for business.—
Lionel Laurent,
Twin Cities,
17 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
Verb
-
The touching moment was shared on the TikTok account @rosiethestaffygirl, capturing the instant Rosie—a Staffordshire bull terrier rescue—worked up the nerve to confront something that had clearly been troubling her.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But besides defiant behavior or anger issues, there are other behaviors that indicate that something deeper is troubling your teen.—
Staff Author,
Parents,
9 Mar. 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
Verb
-
Medieval schoolmen worrying over Aristotle could be pedants; so could cultivated female salonnières in seventeenth-century Paris.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The technology intentionally comes lacking a human face, and its evangelists have both over-promised regarding what the tools can do in the short term while worrying people about the long-term societal impacts.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saddening. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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