Definitions

wistfulness

[wist-fuhl-nis] / ˈwɪst fəl nɪs /

NOUN

melancholy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

boredom despair desperation despondency ennui gloom grief sorrow

STRONG

blahs blues bummer dejection dolor downer dumps funk gloominess letdown miserableness misery mopes mournfulness pensiveness tedium unhappiness woe wretchedness

WEAK

blue devils blue funk dismals dolefuls down trip low spirits

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheer confidence excitement happiness joy

STRONG

advantage benefit blessing boon gladness joyousness

NOUN

nostalgia

Synonyms

STRONGEST

longing remorse sentimentality yearning

STRONG

homesickness pining reminiscence schmaltz

WEAK

fond memories hearts and flowers tear-jerker

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Singsong rhyme and meter are out; free verse and wistfulness are in.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Amid the rebuke, brands have recoiled back within the antiseptic neutrality where they’re most comfortable: irrelevant celebrity cameos, cheap millennial nostalgia, unmoored wistfulness for simpler days.

From Slate • Feb. 8, 2026

All of the romance and wistfulness of the concert can’t undo years of heartbreak and resentment.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026

Schneider said he and many of those active in the Yiddish scene are alive to the "danger of becoming really wrapped in a ball of nostalgia and wistfulness".

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

After a moment of wistfulness, I try to let go of these memories, let go of my friends from Kunu Yaku, my beautiful cow, all the other sweet parts of my old life.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

wistfulness

Example Sentences

Related Words