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Glite Dictionary
tinge of sadness

tinge of sadness

1 3.9
A slight feeling of sadness that is not strong
  • noun
translation icon : matiz de tristeza

Examples

  • Things turned out quite the reverse, but she won my heart with her sweetness and the tinge of sadness.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I catch a tinge of sadness in the material, and I think he knows he is as much a Yeast Person as anyone else in this doomed culture.

    Blog text (15)

  • I've known a few people like this in my life, and while their exterior may be shiny, there's always a tinge of sadness that shows through the cracks.

    Blog text (34)

  • I'm looking forward to seeing Vered in all her finery and her glorious wedding dress, and yet I don't deny a tinge of sadness that she is leaving home.

    Blog text (25)

  • As she looked at the old photographs, a tinge of sadness washed over her.

  • The movie ended on a hopeful note, but it still left a tinge of sadness in the audience.

  • His smile faded slightly, revealing a tinge of sadness in his eyes.

Synonyms

sadness
vstinge of sadness
229 1.0

A feeling of being unhappy

is a very small sorrow rather than a broad emotional state
undercurrent of sadness
vstinge of sadness
7.4

A quiet sadness felt beneath a happy or normal mood

is a faint sorrow felt directly rather than hidden beneath mood

Antonyms

joy
793 1.0

A strong feeling of great happiness

cheerfulness
4 1.0

A happy mood that makes you smile and helps others feel good

How Sad

deep sorrow
4 3.7
sadness
229 1.0
tinge of sadness
1 3.9

Surface Forms

tinge of sadness singular
tinges of sadness plural

Morphology

tinge + of + sadness

The phrase is fully compositional: 'tinge' means a slight trace and 'sadness' is sorrow, so 'tinge of sadness' directly denotes a small amount of sadness. This noun + of + noun pattern is common across languages and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Tinge of sadness comes from the image of a tiny touch of colour: tinge means a very small bit of colour and sadness is the feeling. So a tinge of sadness is like a light brush of sorrow on someone's mood, meaning 'a slight sadness'.