Meaning & use
sadden
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To make someone feel sad or sorrowful.
Grammar: Takes a person as the object: the news saddened her.
Patterns
- sadden someone
- be saddened by something
The news of his retirement saddened the whole team.
It saddens me to see the old house empty.
The sight of the empty playground saddened her.
verbintransitiveliterary
To become sad.
Grammar: No object, and uncommon: her face saddened.
Patterns
- someone's face saddens
His face saddened when he heard the diagnosis.
Her voice saddened as she spoke of home.
Word forms
| third person singular | saddens |
|---|---|
| past tense | saddened |
| past participle | saddened |
| -ing form | saddening |
Common combinations
- deeply saddened
- We are deeply saddened by the loss.
- it saddens me
- It saddens me that they never reconciled.
- saddened by the news
- She was saddened by the news.
- saddened to learn
- I was saddened to learn of his passing.
- saddens the heart
- The scene saddens the heart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- upset
- Upset is broader and may imply anger or distress, while sadden is specifically sorrowful.
- depress
- Depress implies a deeper, longer lowering of mood than sadden.
- grieve
- Grieve suggests intense mourning, and sadden is milder.
- dishearten
- Dishearten means to take away hope or confidence, while sadden is about sorrow.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: sadden or saddle?
sadden vs saddle
A saddle is a seat for a horse; do not mix it up with sadden.
Practice
We were all ___ by the news that the old library would close.
Choose one answer.
Saddened fits news of a closure. Gladdened and relieved suggest happy feelings, and amused is also positive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sadden”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.