Sadness
/ˈsædnəs/
Definitions
The condition or quality of being sad; unhappiness.
/ˈsædnəs/
The state of feeling unhappy
She felt a deep sadness after the loss of her pet.
💡 Simply: Sadness is that feeling you get when something makes you unhappy, like when you lose a favorite toy or when a friend is feeling down. It’s a normal emotion, and it's okay to feel it!
👶 For kids: When you feel not happy, that's sadness.
More Examples
A wave of sadness washed over him when he heard the news.
The song evoked a feeling of sadness in many listeners.
How It's Used
"Researchers study the effects of prolonged sadness on mental health."
"The novel explored the themes of love, loss, and the pervasive sadness of the human condition."
Idioms & expressions
A cloud of sadness
A feeling of sadness or gloom that is pervasive.
"A cloud of sadness hung over the family after the accident."
To fight back the tears
To try not to cry, especially when feeling sad or upset.
"She fought back the tears as she said goodbye."
From Old English *sædnes*, derived from *sæd* (sad) + -ness (a suffix indicating a state or condition).
The word sadness has been used since the Old English period to describe the emotional state of being unhappy.
Memory tip
Think of a sad *sun* without its rays (s-a-d-ness).