sadness
gb/sˈædnəs/ us/sˈædnəs/
A2
English
~ 5200
szomorúság, bánat, komor hangulat, melankólia, szomorú hangulat
NOUN
A2
1
szomorúság
A2
bánat
B1
Usage pattern:
feel [sadness] about [something]
She felt a deep sadness after her friend moved away.
Mély szomorúságot érzett, miután az egyik barátja elköltözött.
There was a quiet sadness in his eyes when he talked about his childhood.
Csendes szomorúság ült a szemében, amikor a gyerekkoráról beszélt.
His sudden death brought great sadness to the whole community.
Writing about her feelings helped her deal with her sadness.
The news of the accident filled them with sadness and shock.
Learner examples
I feel sadness when I think about my old home.
Szomorúságot érzek, amikor a régi otthonomra gondolok.
There is a lot of sadness in that movie.
Abban a filmben sok a szomorúság.
Her face showed sadness when she said goodbye.
The children’s sadness was clear after the game was canceled.
He tried to hide his sadness from his family.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"I am a sadness"* or *"I have a sadness"* instead of using the adjective *"sad"* or a more natural phrase. Correct uses include *"I am sad"*, *"I feel sadness"*, or *"I feel sad"*. Another mistake is treating *"sadness"* as usually countable; we normally say *"a lot of sadness"* rather than *"many sadnesses"*.
Meaning
feeling of being unhappy or sorrowful
Collocations
deep sadness
|feel sadness
|overcome with sadness
|a wave of sadness
|tears of sadness
|filled with sadness
Synonyms
unhappiness (Very close in meaning, but slightly broader; can include general dissatisfaction, not only emotional pain.)
|
sorrow (Often suggests sadness related to loss or something serious or painful.)
|
grief (A very strong and deep kind of sadness, especially after someone dies.)
Antonyms
happiness (The general state of feeling good and pleased, the opposite emotional state of sadness.)
|
joy (A strong and often sudden feeling of great happiness, the emotional opposite of deep sadness.)
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad feeling when you are not happy, often because something is wrong or you lost something or someone.
A painful or unhappy emotional state, often caused by loss, disappointment, or other negative experiences.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
the sadness of [something]
The sadness of the empty playground was hard to ignore.
Nehéz volt nem észrevenni az üres játszótér szomorú hangulatát.
There is a quiet sadness in the music that makes it beautiful.
Csendes melankólia van a zenében, és ettől szép.
The film captures the sadness of life in a war-torn city.
Despite the celebration, he heard a note of sadness in her voice.
The old photographs have a certain sadness that is strangely comforting.
Learner examples
The sadness of the story stays in your mind.
A történet szomorú hangulata sokáig megmarad benned.
There is an air of sadness in this old house.
Komor hangulat lengi be ezt a régi házat.
I can hear a little sadness in his song.
The painting shows the sadness of life in the city.
Her smile had a touch of sadness today.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with the personal feeling of sadness and use personal subjects unnaturally, for example *"My sadness of the city"* instead of *"the sadness of the city"*. In this sense, *"sadness"* usually describes the atmosphere or quality of something, not what a person directly feels.
Meaning
sad or depressing quality of something
Collocations
the sadness of [something]
|a touch of sadness
|a hint of sadness
|an air of sadness
|a note of sadness
|a quiet sadness
Synonyms
melancholy (Often used for a gentle or thoughtful sadness in atmosphere, scenes, or music.)
|
gloom (Emphasizes a dark, heavy, or depressing mood in a place or situation.)
|
bleakness (Highlights a cold, empty, or hopeless quality rather than personal emotion.)
Antonyms
cheerfulness (Describes a bright, happy quality in a place, situation, or atmosphere.)
|
brightness (Can refer to both light and a positive, lively feeling that contrasts with sadness.)
Themes
emotions
|art
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A feeling or mood in a place, event, or thing that makes people feel sad.
A quality in a situation, place, sound, or work of art that makes people feel sad or gives a gloomy impression.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sadness
IPA
GB/sˈædnəs/
US/sˈædnəs/
Syllables & stress
sad - ness (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sad)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sadness
- Plural: sadness
Word family
Expressions
a touch of sadness
1/ə tˈʌt͡ʃ əv sˈædnəs/
fixed phrase
small amount of sadness present
A small amount of sadness in someone’s face, voice, or in a place or event.
Examples
- There was a touch of sadness in her smile.
- The party was fun, but there was a touch of sadness because Tom was leaving.
- His voice had a touch of sadness when he spoke about the past.
a wave of sadness
1/ə wˈeɪv əv sˈædnəs/
idiom
sudden strong sadness
A sudden, strong feeling of sadness that seems to come all at once.
Examples
- A wave of sadness hit her when she heard the song.
- He felt a wave of sadness as the train pulled away.
- Sometimes a wave of sadness comes over me for no clear reason.
deep sadness
1/dˈip sˈædnəs/
fixed phrase
very strong form of sadness
A very strong kind of sadness that you feel strongly inside.
Examples
- He felt deep sadness after losing his job.
- Her deep sadness was clear to everyone.
- The book left me with a deep sadness that lasted for days.
overcome with sadness
1/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm wˈɪθ sˈædnəs/
idiom
completely filled by sadness
To feel so much sadness that you almost cannot think or act normally.
Examples
- She was overcome with sadness when she saw the damage to her home.
- He seemed overcome with sadness during the funeral.
- I was overcome with sadness and could not speak.
tears of sadness
1/tˈɪɹz əv sˈædnəs/
fixed phrase
tears caused by sadness
Tears that someone cries because they feel sad.
Examples
- Her eyes were full of tears of sadness.
- He could not hide his tears of sadness at the airport.
- The movie brought tears of sadness to the audience.
with great sadness
1/wˈɪθ ɡɹˈeɪt sˈædnəs/
fixed phrase
formal
formal way to announce sad news
A formal way to start bad or painful news, showing very strong sadness.
Examples
- It is with great sadness that we announce his death.
- The company said, with great sadness, that the factory would close.
- With great sadness, she told the children that their pet had died.
with sadness
1/wˈɪθ sˈædnəs/
fixed phrase
in a sad emotional state
Used to say that someone does or says something while feeling sad.
Examples
- She looked at the old house with sadness.
- He spoke with sadness about his time in the hospital.
- We remember those days with sadness but also with love.