sad
gb/sˈæd/ us/sˈæd/
A1
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
Feeling unhappy or upset
Feeling unhappy or not pleased about something.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is sad about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sad' with 'bad'; 'bad' means not good, while 'sad' refers to feeling unhappy.
Synonyms
unhappy (A general and neutral synonym for feeling bad emotionally.)
|
sorrowful (More formal and literary; often used for deep grief.)
Antonyms
happy (Direct opposite in terms of emotional state.)
Collocations
feel sad
|look sad
|sad news
|sad story
|sad eyes
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She felt sad when her friend moved away.
- It was a sad day for the entire community.
- He looked sad after hearing the bad news.
- The movie had a sad ending that made everyone cry.
Learner examples
- I am sad because my dog is sick.
- She is sad today.
- He feels sad when it rains.
- The boy is sad about his broken toy.
adjective
A2
property
2
Causing sorrow or unhappiness
Making someone feel unhappy or sorry.
Usage pattern:
a sad [event/story/news/sight]
Synonyms
tragic (Stronger and often linked to serious loss or disaster.)
|
unfortunate (Politer and less emotional; emphasizes bad luck.)
Antonyms
joyful (Causing happiness instead of sadness.)
Collocations
sad story
|sad news
|sad event
|sad truth
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was a sad story about a lost child.
- The news of the accident was very sad.
- That old house is a sad reminder of the war.
Learner examples
- This is a sad movie.
- The sad news made her cry.
- It was a sad day for the school.
adjective
informal
B1
property
3
Poor or pathetic in quality
Very bad or weak in quality.
Usage pattern:
a sad [excuse/performance/result]
Synonyms
pitiful (Emphasizes deserving pity for being so bad.)
|
lame (Informal slang for poor quality.)
Antonyms
impressive (High quality or excellent instead of poor.)
Collocations
sad excuse
|sad performance
|sad little
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- That was a sad attempt at cooking.
- He gave a sad excuse for being late.
- The turnout for the event was just sad.
Learner examples
- It was a sad game with no goals.
- He made a sad try to fix the car.
- This is a sad excuse for dinner.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sad
IPA
GB/sˈæd/
US/sˈæd/
Syllables & stress
sad (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sad)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: sad
- Comparative: sadder
- Superlative: saddest
Word family
Forms
sadder
adjective
saddest
adjective
Related words
sadden
verb
Negative and opposite forms
happy
adjective A1
Highlights
- Irregular comparative: sadder Adjective
- Irregular superlative: saddest Adjective
Expressions
a sad state of affairs
1/ə sˈæd stˈeɪt əv əfˈɛɹz/
fixed phrase
A very bad situation
A situation that is very bad or makes you unhappy.
Examples
- It’s a sad state of affairs when people can’t afford food.
- The lack of trust is a sad state of affairs for our team.
sad but true
1/sˈæd bˈʌt tɹˈu/
fixed phrase
Unfortunate but correct fact
Used to say that something is bad but real.
Examples
- It’s sad but true that many people never vote.
- Sad but true, the company will close next month.
sad to say
1/sˈæd tə sˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
Unfortunately, it is true to say
Used to show that you feel bad about saying something that is true.
Examples
- Sad to say, we lost the game.
- Sad to say, many small shops have closed this year.