Sadness has as many shades as happiness. Some sadness is a passing disappointment (crestfallen); some is a deep, lasting mood (melancholy); some is hopeless (despondent) or lonely (forlorn), and some mixes sorrow with sweetness (wistful, poignant). Choosing the right one tells a reader exactly how a character feels.
Key idea
Moods: melancholy (deep sadness, a noun), somber (dark and serious), morose (sullen and gloomy), lugubrious (over-the-top mournful). After a loss: despondent (no hope), forlorn (lonely, abandoned), crestfallen (disappointed), disconsolate (beyond comfort). Tender sadness: wistful (longing), poignant (deeply moving).
The ten words
Common mistake
poignant is pronounced POIN-yunt; it can describe a tender memory as well as a sad one. morose suggests sullen bad temper, not only sadness.
| word | the kind of sadness |
|---|---|
| crestfallen | a sudden letdown |
| despondent | hope is gone |
| disconsolate | nothing comforts |
| forlorn | lonely, left behind |
| morose | sullen and grumpy |
| somber | dark and serious |
| melancholy | a deep, lasting sadness |
| wistful | longing for what is gone |
| poignant | moving: sad and tender at once |
| lugubrious | mournful, laid on thick |
poignant is said POIN-yunt (the g is silent), and it can describe a tender, happy-sad memory, not only a sad one. morose adds bad temper to gloom; a morose person is sulking, not just sad.