sad

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sæd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æd

Adjective

sad (comparative sadder or more sad, superlative saddest or most sad)

1. (heading) Emotionally negative.
   1. Feeling sorrow; sorrowful, mournful.

      Synonyms: depressed, down in the dumps, glum, melancholy; see also Thesaurus:sad

      Antonyms: cheerful, gleeful, happy, upbeat; see also Thesaurus:happy

      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.

      • 2010 February, Eric Rentschler, Itoh's Ghost‎, iUniverse, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 54:

        We need a sad man. Give us a sad man.” Tomo gave the look of a sad man, then followed with the body of a sad man. “That's it, more of that. can you manufacture a mole right here? Yes, a very ugly mole. Right here, on the chin. […]

   3. Causing sorrow; lamentable.

      Synonyms: deplorable, saddening; see also Thesaurus: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.

      Synonyms: pitiful, sorry; see also Thesaurus:low-quality

      Antonym: decent

      That's the saddest-looking pickup truck I've ever seen.

      • 1819 July 15, [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.

      Synonyms: see Thesaurus:dim, Thesaurus:dark colour

      • 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.

   Synonyms: staid, stern; see also Thesaurus:serious

   • 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.

   Synonyms: mischievous, roguish, vexatious

   • 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds:

     Mr. Santon laughed, and merely said,—"Oh, you cruel beauty!" returning to his paper again; but, seated in the bay-window was one, who could not thus lightly look upon the conduct of the coquettish Winnie, for it was evident she was a sad coquette.

   • 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.

Verb

sad (third-person singular simple present 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 (“Arabic letter”)

Interjection

sad

1. (Internet slang, sometimes humorous) Expressing contempt, ridicule or disgust; bah!

Declension

Further reading

• “sad” in Obastan.com.

Noun

sad m inan (diminutive sádek)

1. orchard

Noun

sad

1. genitive plural of sada

Declension

Alternative forms

• saad, sadd, zed
• sæd, sead, sed (Early Middle English)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sad/, /saːd/

Adjective

sad (plural and weak singular sadde, comparative saddere, superlative saddest)

1. sated, weary (having had enough) [from 9th c.]
2. firm, solid, hard: [from 14th c.]
   1. steady, enduring
   2. intense, powerful, severe
   3. secure (inspiring trust)
   4. dense, thick, tightly-packed
3. considered, thoughtful, serious [from 14th c.]
   • 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)

4. sad (inspiring or having sorrow) [from 14th c.]
5. authentic, true, genuine [from 15th c.]
6. (of colors) dark, deep [from 15th c.]

Adverb

sad (comparative saddere)

1. firmly, solidly, steadily
2. strongly, intensely
3. seriously, consideredly
4. sadly (in a sorrowful way)

References

• “sā̆d, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Noun

sad

1. (Early Middle English) Alternative form of seed (“seed”)

Verb

sad

1. Alternative form of saden

Declension

Descendants

• Middle Low German sat

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Related terms

Declension

Alternative forms

• sȁda

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sâd/

Adverb

sȁd (Cyrillic spelling са̏д)

1. now
2. currently
3. presently

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sâːd/

Noun

sȃd m (Cyrillic spelling са̑д)

1. plant nursery, plantation, orchard (specialized facility rather than a home garden)
2. a seeding or sapling from a plant nursery

Declension

Derived terms

Usage notes

Unlike plod, sad is used more when the edibility is stressed, rather than the seeds it contains.

Declension

n=

n=

Derived terms

Alternative forms

• sat