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to sadden

to sadden

76 2.3
To make someone feel sad
  • verb
  • /ˈsædən/
translation icon : entristecer
  • Mr. Carchidi and his classmates say they are saddened by the events of the last couple of weeks.
  • deeply saddened
  • saddened by the loss
  • feel saddened

Social injustices and health disparities sadden and frustrate us all.

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Examples

  • I am deeply saddened to have to tell you that early this morning your classmate Laura Palmer was found dead.

  • Dear Sam, it saddens me to write this letter, but Mrs. Billingsley and I have decided we cannot permit you to return to our home.

  • And I, I am saddened to think about what has now happened.

  • I was really moved and saddened by this story.

  • The Division is saddened by the loss of some of its members this year.

    Academic text (2002)
  • I was shocked and saddened to learn of your injury.

  • You have suffered great losses and it truly saddens me.

  • I'm most shocked and saddened by this betrayal.

  • The management of Del Mar is saddened to announce that Olly's Boy will have to be destroyed.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I was truly sadden when I heard about the accident on the news.

Synonyms

to upset
vsto sadden
362 1.0

Make someone feel sad or worried

is focused on causing plain sadness rather than worry
to grieve
vsto sadden
95 4.1

To make someone feel very sad

is used for ordinary unhappiness, not intense sorrow
to get (someone) down
vsto sadden
  • Informal
87 4.2

To make someone feel sad or discouraged

is a simple way to cause sadness rather than deep sorrow
to pain
vsto sadden
45 4.9

To make someone feel sad or upset

is about causing sadness rather than general distress
to dismay
vsto sadden
37 4.4

Make someone feel shocked or worried by something unexpected

is focused on plain sadness instead of surprise or shock
to break someone's heart
vsto sadden
  • Informal
34 3.4

To make someone very sad because of love or disappointment

is the general act of making someone unhappy, not necessarily deeply
to depress
vsto sadden
32 4.1

To make someone feel sad and lose hope

is a milder action that brings ordinary unhappiness
to get down
vsto sadden
  • Informal
22 4.1

To make someone feel sad or less hopeful

is a broader term for making someone unhappy or sad
to weigh down
vsto sadden
9 4.9

Make someone feel sad or worried

is a simpler phrase meaning to cause unhappiness without burden
to dishearten
vsto sadden
8 5.3

To make someone lose hope or confidence

is about creating sadness rather than removing hope or confidence
to deject
vsto sadden
4 6.5

To make someone feel sad or less hopeful

is a general action that simply causes unhappiness
to dampen spirits
vsto sadden
2 4.9

Make someone feel less happy and excited

is stronger, causing real sadness rather than lowered enthusiasm
to cast down
vsto sadden
1 6.3

To make someone feel sad or discouraged

is about making someone simply unhappy not always discouraged

Antonyms

to cheer up
  • Informal
234 1.4

To feel happier after being sad or to make someone feel happier

23 3.2

To make someone feel happier and more hopeful

1 3.5

To make someone feel happy

How Saddening

to devastate
221 4.9
to deject
4 6.5
to sadden
76 2.3
to upset
362 1.0
to disappoint
492 1.0

Surface Forms

sadden infinitive
saddened past
saddened past participle
saddening present participle
saddens third person singular

Morphology

sadden = sad (transparent) = sad + en

Formed by adding the productive verb-forming suffix '-en' to the adjective 'sad', meaning 'to make sad'.

Etymology

Sadden comes from the adjective sad plus the ending -en, which means 'make' or 'become' — like in harden or brighten. So to sadden someone is simply to 'make' them sad.