Words Instead of “sad”
"Sad" is broad. Whether a character feels fleeting disappointment or bone-deep grief, there is a more exact word for it.
Writing tip
The most powerful sad words carry a visual image: "forlorn" suggests someone standing alone; "wistful" suggests longing for something beautiful that is gone.
12 Alternatives to “sad”
a deep, pensive sadness, often without clear cause
in low spirits with little hope; deeply discouraged
pitifully sad and abandoned; left alone
disheartened, typically after a defeat or disappointment
longing for something with gentle sadness
feeling a great sense of loss; deprived of something precious
expressing grief or sorrow; mournful
too unhappy to be comforted
saddened because of a disappointment
expressing or feeling sorrow; pitifully bad
feeling or expressing grief
sullenly unhappy and unsociable
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