English Explanatory Dictionary

wistful

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Full of longing or yearning.
  2. Sad and thoughtful.

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪstfəl/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wistful.wav

Word forms

wistful more wistful most wistful

Etymology

Presumably from *whistful, from whist (“silent”) + -ful, based on older wistly. It is implausible that it derives from wishful, the required sound change being wishful → *wisful → wistful, which could not occur in Modern English, particularly not with wishful continuing in use. However, the sense of “longing” appears to be influenced by wishful, making wistful an ambiguous poetic word.

Synonyms

desirous yearnful despondent unhappy atrabiliary atrabilious blitheless dispirited blue bummed out chapfallen cheerless chopfallen crestfallen cut up damp dejected depressed disgruntled disconsolate disheartened dismal doleful dolesome down down in the dumps down in the mouth downcast downhearted downsome dull elegiac elegious forlorn gloomy glum grief-stricken grieving heavy-hearted heartsore heartsick inconsolable infelicitous jawfallen joyless lachrymose lamentful low low-spirited lugubrious lumpish melancholic melancholy miserable moody mopey morose mournful passionate plaintive

Derived words

wistfully wistfulness
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