wistful

wistful

From Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day by Merriam-Webster

May 8, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode explores the meaning and usage of the word 'wistful', highlighting its emotional connotations and historical origins.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2026 is: wistful • \WIST-ful\  • adjective To be wistful is to have sad thoughts and feelings about something that you want to have or do, and especially about something that made you happy in the past. Wistful can also describe something, such as a smile or sigh, that shows or communicates such feelings. // As the car pulled away, Lea cast one last wistful glance at the house where she'd spent so many happy years. See the entry > Examples: "Postcards have always been an object of fascination for me. I remember flipping through photo albums as a young girl and coming across those sent to my parents, from people I had never met. When I asked who these people were, I would hear wistful stories." — Minoli Wijetunga, The Guardian (London), 10 Jan. 2026 Did you know? We see you there, dear reader, gazing silently up at the moon, heart aching to know the history of wistful , as if it could be divined on the lunar surface. And we'd like to ease your melancholy by telling you that the knowledge you seek—nay, pine for—is closer at hand. The word wistful comes from wistly , a now-obsolete word meaning "intently," and the…

People in this episode

Host: Merriam-Webster

Topics covered

  • language
  • word meaning
  • nostalgia
  • emotions
  • linguistics

Keywords

  • wistful
  • adjective
  • sad thoughts
  • nostalgia
  • language

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Guardian

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