sadness

sadness — noun

1. the unhappy feeling you have when something bad happens, such as losing someone

1.nounB1
Definition

the unhappy feeling you have when something bad happens, such as losing someone you love, saying goodbye, or being disappointed by an outcome

Example

A deep sadness filled Maja's heart when she said goodbye to her family.

uncountable noun modified by deep

The old photographs of her childhood home brought Lisa a quiet sadness.

collocation: brought + sadness

Common collocations
  • deep sadness
  • overwhelming sadness
  • wave of sadness
  • quiet sadness
  • feeling of sadness
  • filled with sadness
Synonyms
  • unhappiness

    broader term that covers both sadness and general dissatisfaction or discontent

  • sorrow

    stronger and more formal, often for deep unhappiness from loss or regret

  • grief

    much stronger, specifically tied to the death of a loved one or a devastating loss

  • melancholy

    literary word for a gentle, thoughtful, long-lasting sadness without a clear cause

Antonyms
  • happiness

    the opposite emotional state, marked by joy and contentment

  • joy

    a strong, active feeling of delight, the opposite of deep sorrow

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense. Frequently paired with modifiers such as deep, great, or overwhelming, or used in phrases like 'wave of sadness' and 'feeling of sadness.'

Common Mistakes

I have a sadness about moving away.
I feel sadness about moving away.
The general emotion is uncountable; 'a sadness' (sense 2) refers to a specific regrettable situation.

2. a particular situation or fact that is disappointing, unsatisfactory, or causes

2.nounB2
Definition

a particular situation or fact that is disappointing, unsatisfactory, or causes shock — for example, the loss of old traditions, the failure of a community project, or the unfairness of a decision

Example

One of the great sadnesses of city life is that neighbours rarely know each other.

countable: one of the sadnesses of

It is a deep sadness that so many old buildings were destroyed without thought.

it is + sadness + that-clause

Common collocations
  • one of the sadnesses of
  • sadness of something
  • sadness of the situation
  • real sadness of
Synonyms
  • tragedy

    stronger; implies a devastating, often irreversible event; more dramatic than sadness

  • misfortune

    focuses on bad luck rather than the emotional reaction to the situation

  • pity

    milder, often used in set phrases like 'it's a pity that…'

Antonyms
  • blessing

    a positive, fortunate situation that brings happiness instead of regret

Usage Note

Countable and often appears with an article or in the plural (sadnesses). Most common in formal or literary writing. Frequently introduced by 'one of the…' or 'it is a… that…'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Sadness is the most general word for the feeling of being unhappy. It works in everyday speech and writing for any level of unhappiness, from mild to deep. Sorrow is stronger and more formal, often used for serious, long-lasting unhappiness caused by loss or regret. Grief is the most intense of the group — it typically refers to the deep pain felt after a loved one dies. Unhappiness is a broad word that overlaps with sadness but also covers feelings of dissatisfaction or discontent with your life or circumstances. Melancholy is a literary term for a quiet, thoughtful sadness that lingers without an obvious trigger. For example, you feel sadness when a friend moves abroad; you feel grief when a parent passes away; and you feel melancholy staring out at the rain on a cold November afternoon.

sadness ↗sorrow ↗grief ↗unhappiness ↗melancholy

Common collocations

Nouns

  • feeling of sadness
  • sense of sadness
  • look of sadness

Phrases

  • filled with sadness
  • overcome with sadness

Prepositions

  • sadness about
  • sadness over

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'sadness' comes from the adjective 'sad' combined with the suffix '-ness', which turns adjectives into nouns. The adjective 'sad' has an unusual history — in Old English it meant 'full' or 'satisfied' (after a meal), then shifted to 'weary of' and 'serious', and only later took on its modern meaning of 'feeling sorrow.' The noun form 'sadness' has been used since the 1300s.