SAD Synonyms: 263 Similar and Opposite Words

sad

adjective

ˈsad

Definition of sad

as in unhappy

feeling unhappiness movies in which the hero dies always make us feel sad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in depressing

causing unhappiness the sad news about our uncle's death made my father cry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Fans, and even the all-stars in the audience last night, were sad to hear the twist means the live feeds are down until after Sunday’s episode. — Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Aug. 2026 Look for the Mother While skunks often venture off to find food for their young, in some sad situations, the mother may be found nearby as roadkill, says Single. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026 By Christmas it had been canonized as the pinnacle of ‘sad girl lit’ with Martha taking her place in that post-Fleabag lineage of fractured female characters. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 What started as a sad evening of cold pizza and melting cupcakes turned into so much more, Mosteller says. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sad

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sad

Adjective

Before long, the book moves back in time to shadow the king himself, an unhappy leader thrust into his role by chance and now on the brink of death.

— Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Age came with evidence — every mistake, playoff loss and unhappy ending.

— Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

Billboards along Southern California freeways have broadcast the Angels’ desperate attempts to draw in fans via pathetic promotions.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The outfield production continues to be a concern, and the overall offensive production is pathetic.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of pathetic

Adjective

Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Adjective

In an era of polarization and oversimplified historical narratives, American women need not nostalgia but a new fleet of American Girls who can tell difficult, dangerous, heartbreaking and tenacious stories of lives past.

— Tara Strauch, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
The Ghostbusters actress posted a heartbreaking tribute to her longtime friend, who served as the best man at her 1990 wedding to James Hayman.

— Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of heartbreaking

Adjective

Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.

— Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.

— Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.

— Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfortunate

Browse Nearby Words

sacrosanct

sad

sadden

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Articles Related to sad

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sad

adjective

Example Sentences

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