wistful

wistful


ADJECTIVE
having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.
"a wistful smile"
synonyms:
wistful adjective : showing pensive sadness

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The word wistful has appeared in 163 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Nov. 5 in the Opinion essay “What I’ve Learned From Running Marathons” by Lindsay Crouse:

Training for a marathon two years ago, I ran so fast, I couldn’t believe the clock. It felt like I was lying.

Now when I trudge down those same paths where I took my limits and beat them, I’m a little wistful. It feels like a beautiful dream.

I’m not a professional runner — it’s something I do as a hobby, and it has been a rewarding one. For the 15 years I’ve raced marathons, I mostly got faster each time.

But when I got an email a few weeks ago confirming I had qualified for an elite start I’d coveted in the New York City Marathon — with a time logged just before the pandemic — my excitement quickly turned to dread. This Sunday, I’ll probably run the slowest marathon of my life.

Daily Word Challenge
Can you correctly use the word wistful in a sentence?

Based on the definition and example provided, write a sentence using today’s Word of the Day and share it as a comment on this article. It is most important that your sentence makes sense and demonstrates that you understand the word’s definition, but we also encourage you to be creative and have fun.

Then, read some of the other sentences students have submitted and use the “Recommend” button to vote for two original sentences that stand out to you.

If you want a better idea of how wistful can be used in a sentence, read these usage examples on Vocabulary.com.

Translate wistful to

adjective
wehmuetig
sehnsuehtig