Sad

/sæd/

adjectiveBeginner🔥Very CommonEmotion
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases4 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Experiencing or characterized by sorrow; unhappy.

/sæd/

adjectivenegativeBeginner
Emotion

Feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.

He was sad that his favorite team lost.

💡 Simply: When you feel a heavy heart, like when you lose a favorite toy or someone is mean to you. It's like your tummy feels a bit yucky inside because you're not happy.

👶 For kids: When you feel unhappy and want to cry. 😭

More Examples

2

The sad music made her cry.

3

She felt sad when she heard the bad news.

4

The movie had a sad ending.

How It's Used

General Conversation

"She was sad after her dog died."

Literature

"The protagonist felt a deep, sad loneliness."

2

Causing or characterized by sorrow or regret.

/sæd/

adjectivenegativemedium
Descriptive

Causing or characterized by sorrow; lamentable.

It's a sad commentary on society.

💡 Simply: When something is so disappointing or wrong that it makes you feel a little down. Like a sad movie where someone loses their home.

👶 For kids: When something is not good and makes you feel bad.

More Examples

2

The sad news brought everyone down.

3

The sad events of the past still affect them.

4

The sad reality of the situation.

How It's Used

Literary

"A sad tale of woe."

Tip:Associate it with something that causes tears or unhappiness.

Idioms & expressions

a sad sack

An unfortunate or pathetic person, especially one who is habitually unhappy or unlucky.

"He was always a sad sack, never getting the girl."

sad face

A facial expression expressing sorrow.

"The child made a sad face when they couldn't play outside."

From Old English *sæd*, meaning 'sated, weary, full (of grief or sorrow)'. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *saþaz*.

The word has existed since Old English times, often referring to being 'sated' or 'full', which later developed to describe a state of sorrow or unhappiness.

Memory tip

Think of someone looking at the 'SAD' news on the TV.

Word Origin

LanguageProto-Germanic
Original meaning

"sated, weary"

sad newssad storysad facesad eyessad experience

Common misspellings

saddsaddesade

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written