wist ‧ ful /ˈwɪstf ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: wistly 'with close attention' (15-18 centuries) , probably from whist 'quiet' (15-20 centuries) ; influenced by wishful ]
thinking sadly about something you would like to have but cannot have, especially something that you used to have in the past:
a wistful smile
—wistfully adverb :
‘That’s the house where I was born,’ she said wistfully.
—wistfulness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ sad not happy:
She felt sad as she waved goodbye.
|
a sad and lonely figure
|
a sad face
|
a sad film
▪ unhappy sad, especially for a long time – used about people and periods of time:
I was unhappy at school.
|
an unhappy childhood
|
He’s obviously a deeply unhappy person.
▪ homesick [not before noun] sad because you are away from your home, family, and friends:
She sometimes felt homesick when she first arrived in Japan.
▪ down [not before noun] informal feeling sad for a few hours or days, often for no reason:
Whenever I’m feeling down, I go out and buy myself some new clothes.
|
She’s been kind of down since that argument with Jack.
▪ gloomy looking or sounding sad and without hope – used about people, places, and weather:
Why are you all looking so gloomy?
|
the gloomy immigration office
|
a gloomy afternoon in February
▪ dejected/downcast looking sad and disappointed because something you hoped for did not happen:
‘I didn’t pass,’ he said, looking dejected.
|
a downcast expression
|
He was understandably downcast after the team’s loss.
▪ mournful especially literary looking or sounding sad:
the dog’s big mournful eyes
|
the mournful sound of the church bell
|
a mournful expression
▪ glum looking sad and disappointed:
Don’t look so glum! Maybe you’ll win next time.
|
They sat in glum silence.
▪ wistful especially literary looking a little sad and thoughtful, because you wish that the situation was different:
She looked at him with a wistful smile.