What does wistful mean?

DEFINITIONS of wistful vary depending on how a person uses the word.

The word wistful could mean a couple of different things.

2

What is the meaning of the word wistful?

Wistful is an adjective that refers to two separate, yet similar meanings.

The word describes feelings of longing and melancholy, per dictionary.com.

Wistful could also refer to feelings of pensiveness due to melancholy emotions.

Both definitions are adjectives that often characterize how someone is feeling when they experience hints of sadness.

Most read in Lifestyle

'SO DISGUSTING'

Hollywood stars who put critics to shame after Sydney Sweeney blasted

SORE THUMB

I had a major bridesmaid wardrobe issue at my friend's wedding

FACE FACTS

Aesthetics doctor reveals signs Margot Robbie and Hailey Bieber had work done

PEPEE JEANS

Bizarre new 'trendy jeans' makes it look like you've wet yourself

How can I use wistful in a sentence?

If you're looking to add wistful to your everyday vocabulary, there are a couple of ways you can utilize the phrase.

In one instance you could say, "I was looking through my photo album and got wistful for a few moments."

While in another you could use the word like this: "My friends from college and I spent some time together after not seeing each other for a long time. We were all a little wistful while reminiscing."

It's the implied moods of nostalgia, melancholy, and longing that drives the point home while putting the word to use.

2

What are variations of the phrase?

There are a number of synonyms for the term wistful.

They include other adjectives such as reflective, contemplative, meditative, and forlorn.

Wistful can change grammar forms to fit other methods of use.

Wistfully, wistfulness, and unwistful are all variations of wistful.