noun · informal

sadness

/ˈsædnəs/SAD·ness

Band 5-6speakingtask2

the feeling of being unhappy or sorrowful

Examples

There was a trace of sadness in her voice when she spoke about leaving.

Music can sometimes help people cope with sadness.

He couldn't hide his sadness after hearing the bad news.

Band 8 sentence

While grief is natural, prolonged sadness that affects daily life should be addressed professionally.

Collocations

  • a sense of sadness
  • feel/express sadness
  • filled with sadness

Word family

sad adjectivesadly adverbsadness noun

Common mistakes

I have a sadnessI feel sad / I have sadness

much sadnesssmuch sadness

Say it for a higher band

5sad6sadness7+sadness

Synonyms

sorrow

melancholy

Easily confused

sorrow

She expressed her sorrow at the funeral.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In -ness

Learn it with its set