Wistful

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪst.fəl/

Definitions of wistful

adjective having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing

Example Sentences

A1 She looked wistful as she gazed out the window.

A2 The old man had a wistful expression on his face as he reminisced about his youth.

B1 The wistful melody of the song brought back memories of a happier time.

B2 As she watched the sunset, she couldn't help but feel wistful about the passing of time.

C1 His wistful longing for the past was evident in his nostalgic stories.

C2 The wistful tone of her voice hinted at a deep sense of longing and regret.

Examples of wistful in a Sentence

formal As she gazed out the window at the falling leaves, a wistful expression crossed her face.

informal Whenever he listened to that old song, he couldn't help but feel wistful about the good old days.

slang Seeing her ex with someone new made her feel all wistful and nostalgic.

figurative The abandoned house stood in the field, its empty windows looking wistful as if longing for the laughter of children.

Grammatical Forms of wistful

• past tense: wished
• plural: wistfuls
• comparative: more wistful
• superlative: most wistful
• present tense: wist
• future tense: will wist
• perfect tense: have wist
• continuous tense: is wisting
• singular: wistful
• positive degree: wistful
• infinitive: to wist
• gerund: wisting
• participle: wisted

Origin and Evolution of wistful

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Old English

Story behind the word: The word 'wistful' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old English word 'wist' meaning 'knowledge' or 'understanding'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'wistful' has evolved to convey a sense of longing or yearning, often with a tinge of melancholy or nostalgia.