Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: Old English
Origin: sæd 'having had enough'

sad

 adjective
     
sad S2 W3 comparative sadder, superlative saddest
1

feeling unhappy

unhappy, especially because something unpleasant has happened [≠ happy]
feel/look/sound sad
Dad looked sad and worried as he read the letter.
be sad to hear/see/read etc something
I was very sad to hear that he had died.
sad that
Lilly felt sad that Christmas was over.
sad about
I was sad about the friends I was leaving behind.
sad smile/face/expression etc
There was such a sad look in her eyes.
2

making you unhappy

a sad event, situation etc makes you feel unhappy:
Sorry to hear the sad news.
It was a sad case. The boy ended up in prison.
sad story/song/film etc
a story with a sad ending
it is sad to see/hear etc something
It was sad to see them arguing.
sad time/day/moment etc
This is a sad day for us all.
3

not satisfactory

very bad or unacceptable:
There aren't enough teachers, which is a sad state of affairs (=bad situation).
it's sad that/when/if ...
It's sad if people are too afraid to go out alone at night.
the sad fact is (that) spoken:
The sad fact is that prejudice still exists.
Sad to say (=unfortunately), the country is heading towards civil war.
4

lonely

a sad person has a dull, unhappy, or lonely life:
She's a sad character - without any friends at all.
5

boring

informal boring or not deserving any respect:
Stay in on Saturday night? What a sad idea!
6

sadder and/but wiser

having learned something from an unpleasant experience:
He came out of the relationship sadder but wiser.
➔ sadnessWORD FOCUS: sad WORD FOCUS: sad
unhappy sad because of the situation you are in
miserable very sad
depressed sad for a long time, and feeling that your life will never get better
gloomy/glum looking sad
down/down in the dumps sad and without much interest in life - usually not in a serious or permanent way
broken-hearted very sad because someone has ended a romantic relationship with you
homesick sad because you are a long way from your home and your friends
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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