Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: wistly 'with close attention' (15-18 centuries), probably from whist 'quiet' (15-20 centuries); influenced by wishful

wistful

 adjective
     
wist‧ful
thinking sadly about something you would like to have but cannot have, especially something that you used to have in the past:
a wistful smile
—wistfully adverb:
'That's the house where I was born,' she said wistfully.
—wistfulness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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