English
sad
see also: SAD
Etymology 1

From Middle English sad, from Old English sæd, from Proto-Germanic *sadaz, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂-.

Pronunciation Adjective

sad (comparative sadder, superlative saddest)

  1. (heading) Emotionally negative.
    1. Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.
      She gets sad when he's away.
      • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii], page 219 ↗, column 2:
        Firſt were we ſad, fearing you would not come, / Now ſadder that you come ſo vnprouided: […]
      • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX ↗”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗, line 18:
        […] Th’ Angelic Guards aſcended, mute and ſad […]
    2. Appearing sorrowful.
      The puppy had a sad little face.
    3. Causing sorrow; lamentable.
      It's a sad fact that most rapes go unreported.
      • 1911, G. K. Chesterton, The Ballad of the White Horse:
        The Great Gaels of Ireland are the men that God made mad, / For all their wars are merry and all their songs are sad.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗, page 249 ↗:
        The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.
    4. Poor in quality, bad; shameful, deplorable; later, regrettable, poor.
      That's the saddest-looking pickup truck I've ever seen.
      • 1819 July 14, [Lord Byron], Don Juan, London: […] Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC ↗, canto II, stanza CXXVII, page 182 ↗:
        Heaven knows what cash he got, or blood he spilt, / A sad old fellow was he, if you please […].
    5. Of colours: dark, deep; later, sombre, dull.
      • 1650, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Other Common Tenents, Concerning Minerall and Terreous Bodies, Which Examined, Prove Either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC ↗, 2nd book, page 69 ↗:
        […] this is either uſed crude, and called ſulphur vive, and is of a ſadder colour; or after depuration, ſuch as we have in magdeleons or rols of a lighter yellow.
      • 1679, Izaak Walton, The Life of Bishop Robert Sanderson:
        sad-coloured clothes
      • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC ↗:
        Woad, or wade, is used by the dyers to lay the foundation of many colours, especially all sad colours.
  2. (obsolete) Sated, having had one's fill; satisfied, weary.
  3. (obsolete) Steadfast, valiant.
    • 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act I ↗:
      The fearefull newes that whilſt the flame doth but begin,
      Sad pollicie may ſerue to quench the fire: […]
  4. (obsolete) Dignified, serious, grave.
    • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Clerke of Oxenfordes Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC ↗; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC ↗, folio xlix, verso ↗, column 2, line 4:
      […] ſadde and rype corage […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1509, Sebastian Brant, translated by Alexander Barclay, The Ship of Fools,:
      Therfore it nedeth that better prouysion.
      Were founde for youthe by sad and wyse counsayle
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗, stanza 3, page 348 ↗:
      Vproſe Sir Guyon, in bright armour clad, / And to his purpoſd iourney him prepar'd: / With him the Palmer eke in habit ſad, / Him ſelfe addreſt to that aduenture hard: […]
  5. (obsolete) Naughty; troublesome; wicked.
    • 1860, Isaac Taylor, “Essay III. Modern Advancements and Lay Inventors.”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy […], →OCLC ↗, section IX, page 227 ↗:
      In ſuch places, it would not be doubted, that a grim Daniel Scroggins, and an aproned Sam Smith, might be found—ſad tipſy fellows, both of them, to whoſe ingenuity this or that mechanical improvement had been due.
  6. (slang) Unfashionable; socially inadequate or undesirable.
    I can't believe you use drugs; you're so sad!
  7. (dialect) Soggy (to refer to pastries).
  8. (obsolete) Heavy; weighty; ponderous; close; hard.
    sad bread
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗, stanza 30, page 299 ↗:
      […] his hand, more ſad then lomp of lead, […]
    • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC ↗:
      Chalky lands are naturally cold and sad.
Synonyms Antonyms Related terms Translations Translations Translations Verb

sad (sads, present participle sadding; simple past and past participle sadded)

  1. (transitive, archaic) To make melancholy; to sadden or grieve (someone).
    • 16??, John Webster, Appius and Virginia
      My father's wondrous pensive, and withal / With a suppress'd rage left his house displeas'd, / And so in post is hurried to the camp: / It sads me much; to expel which melancholy, / I have sent for company.
Noun

sad (plural sads)

  1. Alternative form of saad
SAD
Noun

sad (plural sads)

  1. (medicine) Initialism of seasonal affective disorder
  2. Initialism of standard American diet
  3. (psychology) Initialism of social anxiety disorder
  4. (X-ray crystallography) Initialism of w:single-wavelength anomalous dispersion
Proper noun
  1. (US) Initialism of w:Special Activities Division
  2. (Indian politics) Initialism of Shiromani Akali Dal Indian political party


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