sadness
English
editAlternative forms
edit- sadnesse (obsolete)
Etymology
editFrom Middle English sadnesse, equivalent to sad + -ness.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editsadness (countable and uncountable, plural sadnesses)
- (uncountable) The state or emotion of being sad.
- Synonyms: forlornness, melancholy
- c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
- But sorrow that is couch'd in seeming gladness
Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.
- 1707, John Dunton, “Mourning Joy: or a Paradox in Praiſe of Sadneſs”, in Athenian Sport[:] […] , page 423:
- I mean not then under the name of Sadneſs to defend effeminate Bewailings and Lamentations; let them that ſubject themſelves to this weakeſt Impatience, be alſo ſubject to the Lycian Law, that bound theſe kind of Lamenters to be array'd like Women: […]
- (countable) An event in one's life that causes sadness.
- Synonyms: misfortune, woe
- She has experienced many sadnesses in her forty years.
Translations
editstate/emotion
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Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms suffixed with -ness
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
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- en:Emotions
- en:Sadness