wistfully
/ˈwɪstfəli/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɪstfəli] /ˈwɪstfəli/ (ame, ipa)
wistfully — adverb
1. done with a tender, sad feeling for something desired but out of reach — typical
done with a tender, sad feeling for something desired but out of reach — typically a happy memory from the past that will not return.
Nila gazed wistfully at the old photographs of her childhood home.
adverb before verb: gazed wistfully at
Chiara smiled wistfully as the train carried her away from the seaside town.
adverb after verb: smiled wistfully
Niran spoke wistfully about the family dinners they used to share every Sunday.
The old man sighed wistfully at the children playing in the rain.
Zayd watched wistfully as the last bus disappeared around the corner.
- longingly
places more emphasis on desire than on sadness
- yearningly
stronger emotional pull, often more literary
- plaintively
carries a note of sorrow or complaint, less about fond memory
用法筆記
Commonly modifies verbs of looking (gaze, stare, watch), speaking (say, speak, talk, sigh), or smiling. The sadness is gentle, not intense grief.