Sadness Synonyms | Uses & Example Sentences
Sadness is a noun that means “a state of low spirits.” Some synonyms for sadness are:
- Sorrow
- Unhappiness
- Melancholy
- Gloom
- Grief
- Despair
- Depression
- Agony
- Dejection
- Joylessness
- Distress
- Despondency
- Listlessness
Want a sadness synonym for a specific sentence? QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help.
Table of contents
Sadness synonyms
Some synonyms for sadness are stronger than others. For example, “sorrow” is a stronger match than “loneliness,” which means “sadness brought about by a lack of company or connection.”
Synonyms for sadness
| Match | Synonym | Sadness example | Synonym example |
| Strongest | Sorrow | She still felt deep sadness anytime she thought about her grandfather’s passing. | She still felt deep sorrow anytime she thought about her grandfather’s passing. |
| Unhappiness | You may feel sadness now, but it’s going to get better. | You may feel unhappiness now, but it’s going to get better. | |
| Melancholy | A sense of sadness hung over the site of the battle. | A sense of melancholy hung over the site of the battle. | |
| Gloom | The sadness in the town was palpable. | The gloom in the town was palpable. | |
| Grief | Some people believe only time can get you through a period of sadness. | Some people believe only time can get you through a period of grief. | |
| Despair | Mike sank into sadness after repeated failures. | Mike sank into despair after repeated failures. | |
| Strong | Depression | Everyday tasks can feel monumental when you’re experiencing deep sadness. | Everyday tasks can feel monumental when you’re experiencing deep depression. |
| Agony | Marcus couldn’t hide his sadness after the loss of his mother. | Marcus couldn’t hide his agony after the loss of his mother. | |
| Dejection | Duncan sat in sadness after hearing the bad news. | Duncan sat in dejection after hearing the bad news. | |
| Joylessness | Their lack of morale had devolved into an intense sense of sadness. | Their lack of morale had devolved into an intense sense of joylessness. | |
| Distress | Cameron’s sadness made it hard for him to concentrate. | Cameron’s distress made it hard for him to concentrate. | |
| Despondency | Many people are facing sadness these days, and we need a change. | Many people are facing despondency these days, and we need a change. | |
| Listlessness | Casey’s sadness made her move slowly around the house. | Casey’s listlessness made her move slowly around the house. | |
| Weak | Malaise | A vague sadness settled over him for weeks. | A vague malaise settled over him for weeks. |
| Loneliness | We are trying out community-building measures we hope are preventive to sadness. | We are trying out community-building measures we hope are preventive to loneliness. | |
| The blues | Teens can experience sadness as they grow up and learn about life. | Teens can experience the blues as they grow up and learn about life. | |
| Broken heart | Kyle’s sadness came from losing someone he loved. | Kyle’s broken heart came from losing someone he loved. |
- Melancholy refers to pensive sadness, typically without an obvious cause.
- Grief implies sadness related to loss.
- Despair means sadness with a complete loss of hope.
If you have questions about the nuances of these words—or you want to ask which synonym for sadness works best in a specific context—you can ask QuillBot’s AI Chat.
Frequently asked questions about sadness synonyms
- What’s an unhappiness synonym?
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Some synonyms for “unhappiness” are:
- Misery
- Discontent
- Sadness
- Sorrow
- Gloom
- Woe
These overlap with the synonyms for sadness. To find synonyms for “unhappiness” in a specific context, try QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
- What’s a melancholy synonym?
-
A synonym for “melancholy” could be:
- Sadness
- Sorrow
- Gloom
- Despondency
- Depression
- Low spirits
These overlap quite a bit with synonyms for sadness. QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you find the best synonym for “melancholy” in your writing.
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Santoro, K. (2025, December 05). Sadness Synonyms | Uses & Example Sentences. Quillbot. Retrieved December 7, 2025, from https://quillbot.com/blog/synonyms/sadness-synonym/
