sadness

/ˈsædnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsædnəs/ (ame, ipa)

sadness — noun

  • sadnesssingular
  • sadnessesplural

1. the unhappy feeling you have when something bad happens, such as losing someone

1.名詞B1
釋義

the unhappy feeling you have when something bad happens, such as losing someone you love, saying goodbye, or being disappointed by an outcome

例句

A deep sadness filled Maja's heart when she said goodbye to her family.

uncountable noun modified by deep

The old photographs of her childhood home brought Lisa a quiet sadness.

collocation: brought + sadness

同義詞
  • unhappiness

    broader term that covers both sadness and general dissatisfaction or discontent

  • sorrow

    stronger and more formal, often for deep unhappiness from loss or regret

  • grief

    much stronger, specifically tied to the death of a loved one or a devastating loss

  • melancholy

    literary word for a gentle, thoughtful, long-lasting sadness without a clear cause

反義詞
  • happiness

    the opposite emotional state, marked by joy and contentment

  • joy

    a strong, active feeling of delight, the opposite of deep sorrow

用法筆記

Uncountable in this sense. Frequently paired with modifiers such as deep, great, or overwhelming, or used in phrases like 'wave of sadness' and 'feeling of sadness.'

常見錯誤

❌I have a sadness about moving away.
✅I feel sadness about moving away.
💡The general emotion is uncountable; 'a sadness' (sense 2) refers to a specific regrettable situation.

2. a particular situation or fact that is disappointing, unsatisfactory, or causes

2.名詞B2
釋義

a particular situation or fact that is disappointing, unsatisfactory, or causes shock — for example, the loss of old traditions, the failure of a community project, or the unfairness of a decision

例句

One of the great sadnesses of city life is that neighbours rarely know each other.

countable: one of the sadnesses of

It is a deep sadness that so many old buildings were destroyed without thought.

it is + sadness + that-clause

同義詞
  • tragedy

    stronger; implies a devastating, often irreversible event; more dramatic than sadness

  • misfortune

    focuses on bad luck rather than the emotional reaction to the situation

  • pity

    milder, often used in set phrases like 'it's a pity that…'

反義詞
  • blessing

    a positive, fortunate situation that brings happiness instead of regret

用法筆記

Countable and often appears with an article or in the plural (sadnesses). Most common in formal or literary writing. Frequently introduced by 'one of the…' or 'it is a… that…'.