"wistful" meaning in English

See wistful in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈwɪstfəl/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wistful.wav Forms: more wistful [comparative], most wistful [superlative]
Etymology: Presumably from *whistful, from whist (“silent”) + -ful, based on older wistly. It is implausible that it derives from wishful, the required sound change being wishful → *wisful → wistful, which could not occur in Modern English, particularly not with wishful continuing in use. However, the sense of “longing” appears to be influenced by wishful, making wistful an ambiguous poetic word. Head templates: {{en-adj}} wistful (comparative more wistful, superlative most wistful)
  1. Full of longing or yearning. Categories (topical): Emotions Synonyms: desirous, yearnful Translations (full of longing): копнеещ (kopneešt) (Bulgarian), længselsfuld (Danish), vemodig (Danish), droefgeestig (Dutch), weemoedig (Dutch), melancholisch (Dutch), kaihoisa (Finnish), haikea (Finnish), mélancolique (French), nostalgique (French), morriñento (Galician), morriñoso (Galician), saudoso (Galician), melancólico (Galician), wehmütig (German), sehnsuchtsvoll (German), nostalgisch (German), כמה (kaméha) (Hebrew), angurvær (Icelandic), löngunarfullur [masculine] (Icelandic), malinconico (Italian), nostalgico (Italian), 애석(哀惜)해하는 (aeseokhaehaneun) (Korean), whēnako (Maori), whēnakonako (Maori), lengselsfull (Norwegian), vemodig (Norwegian), حسرتمند (hasratmand) (Persian), bangrich (Plautdietsch), tęskny (Polish), saudoso (Portuguese), nostálgico (Portuguese), melancólico (Portuguese), тоску́ющий (toskújuščij) (Russian), томя́щийся (tomjáščijsja) (Russian), тоскли́вый (tosklívyj) (Russian), čežnjiv [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), čeznutljiv [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), nostálgico (Spanish), längtansfull (Swedish), vemodig (Swedish), тужливий (tužlyvyj) [masculine] (Ukrainian), ностальгійний (nostalʹhijnyj) [masculine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-wistful-en-adj-qKmXW8g4 Disambiguation of Emotions: 65 35 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Maori translations, Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations, Terms with Norwegian translations, Terms with Persian translations, Terms with Plautdietsch translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Ukrainian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 95 5 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 92 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 95 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 81 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 81 19 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 87 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 86 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 80 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 90 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 83 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations: 79 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Norwegian translations: 81 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Persian translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Plautdietsch translations: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 80 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 90 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 91 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Ukrainian translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of 'full of longing': 96 4
  2. Sad and thoughtful. Synonyms: despondent, unhappy, sad Translations (sad and thoughtful): тъжен (tǎžen) (Bulgarian), меланхоличен (melanholičen) (Bulgarian), haikea (Finnish), mietteliäs (Finnish), schwermütig (German), melancholisch (German), עגום (agúm) (Hebrew), מלנכולי (melankóli) (Hebrew), angurvær (Icelandic), löngunarfullur [masculine] (Icelandic), vemodig (Norwegian Bokmål), заду́мчивый (zadúmčivyj) (english: thoughtful) (Russian), гру́стный (grústnyj) (Russian), печа́льный (pečálʹnyj) (english: sad) (Russian), sjetan [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), setan [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), melancólico (Spanish), vemodig [neuter] (Swedish), melankolisk [common-gender] (Swedish), задумливий (zadumlyvyj) (Ukrainian), сумний (sumnyj) [masculine] (Ukrainian), меланхолійний (melanxolijnyj) [masculine] (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-wistful-en-adj-tdR9QGlE Disambiguation of 'sad and thoughtful': 1 99
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: wistfully, wistfulness

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "wistfully"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "wistfulness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Presumably from *whistful, from whist (“silent”) + -ful, based on older wistly. It is implausible that it derives from wishful, the required sound change being wishful → *wisful → wistful, which could not occur in Modern English, particularly not with wishful continuing in use. However, the sense of “longing” appears to be influenced by wishful, making wistful an ambiguous poetic word.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more wistful",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most wistful",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wistful (comparative more wistful, superlative most wistful)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "95 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "95 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "87 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Galician translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "86 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Korean translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "79 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Norwegian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Persian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "90 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "65 35",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Emotions",
          "orig": "en:Emotions",
          "parents": [
            "Mind",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His eyes grew wistful as he recalled his university days.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 1:",
          "text": "Her grey eyes, looking out on the violet of the night sky, the trees, and the crowd of hilarious onlookers who had not been invited to Buckingham Palace, had a patient and wistful expression.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Full of longing or yearning."
      ],
      "id": "en-wistful-en-adj-qKmXW8g4",
      "links": [
        [
          "Full",
          "full"
        ],
        [
          "longing",
          "longing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "yearning",
          "yearning#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "desirous"
        },
        {
          "word": "yearnful"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "kopneešt",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "копнеещ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "længselsfuld"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "vemodig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "droefgeestig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "weemoedig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "melancholisch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "kaihoisa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "haikea"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "mélancolique"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "nostalgique"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "morriñento"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "morriñoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "saudoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "melancólico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "wehmütig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "sehnsuchtsvoll"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "nostalgisch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "kaméha",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "כמה"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "angurvær"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "löngunarfullur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "malinconico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "nostalgico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "aeseokhaehaneun",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "애석(哀惜)해하는"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "whēnako"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "whēnakonako"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "lengselsfull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "vemodig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "fa",
          "lang": "Persian",
          "roman": "hasratmand",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "حسرتمند"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pdt",
          "lang": "Plautdietsch",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "bangrich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "tęskny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "saudoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "nostálgico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "melancólico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "toskújuščij",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "тоску́ющий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tomjáščijsja",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "томя́щийся"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tosklívyj",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "тоскли́вый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "čežnjiv"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "čeznutljiv"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "nostálgico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "längtansfull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "word": "vemodig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "tužlyvyj",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "тужливий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 4",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "nostalʹhijnyj",
          "sense": "full of longing",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ностальгійний"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Sad and thoughtful."
      ],
      "id": "en-wistful-en-adj-tdR9QGlE",
      "links": [
        [
          "Sad",
          "sad"
        ],
        [
          "thoughtful",
          "thoughtful"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "despondent"
        },
        {
          "word": "unhappy"
        },
        {
          "word": "sad"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "tǎžen",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "тъжен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "melanholičen",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "меланхоличен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "haikea"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "mietteliäs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "schwermütig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "melancholisch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "agúm",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "עגום"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "melankóli",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "מלנכולי"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "angurvær"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "löngunarfullur"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "vemodig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "thoughtful",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zadúmčivyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "заду́мчивый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "grústnyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "гру́стный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "ru",
          "english": "sad",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "pečálʹnyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "печа́льный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sjetan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "setan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "melancólico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "vemodig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "melankolisk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "zadumlyvyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "word": "задумливий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "sumnyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "сумний"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "melanxolijnyj",
          "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "меланхолійний"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɪstfəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wistful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ea/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ea/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wistful"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Galician translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Maori translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian Bokmål translations",
    "Terms with Norwegian translations",
    "Terms with Persian translations",
    "Terms with Plautdietsch translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Ukrainian translations",
    "en:Emotions"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "wistfully"
    },
    {
      "word": "wistfulness"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Presumably from *whistful, from whist (“silent”) + -ful, based on older wistly. It is implausible that it derives from wishful, the required sound change being wishful → *wisful → wistful, which could not occur in Modern English, particularly not with wishful continuing in use. However, the sense of “longing” appears to be influenced by wishful, making wistful an ambiguous poetic word.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more wistful",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most wistful",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "wistful (comparative more wistful, superlative most wistful)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His eyes grew wistful as he recalled his university days.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC, page 1:",
          "text": "Her grey eyes, looking out on the violet of the night sky, the trees, and the crowd of hilarious onlookers who had not been invited to Buckingham Palace, had a patient and wistful expression.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Full of longing or yearning."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Full",
          "full"
        ],
        [
          "longing",
          "longing#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "yearning",
          "yearning#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "desirous"
        },
        {
          "word": "yearnful"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Sad and thoughtful."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Sad",
          "sad"
        ],
        [
          "thoughtful",
          "thoughtful"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "despondent"
        },
        {
          "word": "unhappy"
        },
        {
          "word": "sad"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈwɪstfəl/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-wistful.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ea/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ea/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-wistful.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "kopneešt",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "копнеещ"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "længselsfuld"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "vemodig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "droefgeestig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "weemoedig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "melancholisch"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "kaihoisa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "haikea"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "mélancolique"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "nostalgique"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "morriñento"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "morriñoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "saudoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "melancólico"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "wehmütig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "sehnsuchtsvoll"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "nostalgisch"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "kaméha",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "כמה"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "angurvær"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "löngunarfullur"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "malinconico"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "nostalgico"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "aeseokhaehaneun",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "애석(哀惜)해하는"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "whēnako"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "whēnakonako"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "lengselsfull"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "vemodig"
    },
    {
      "code": "fa",
      "lang": "Persian",
      "roman": "hasratmand",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "حسرتمند"
    },
    {
      "code": "pdt",
      "lang": "Plautdietsch",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "bangrich"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "tęskny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "saudoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "nostálgico"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "melancólico"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "toskújuščij",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "тоску́ющий"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tomjáščijsja",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "томя́щийся"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tosklívyj",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "тоскли́вый"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "čežnjiv"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "čeznutljiv"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "nostálgico"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "längtansfull"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "word": "vemodig"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "tužlyvyj",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "тужливий"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "nostalʹhijnyj",
      "sense": "full of longing",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ностальгійний"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "tǎžen",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "тъжен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "melanholičen",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "меланхоличен"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "haikea"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "mietteliäs"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "schwermütig"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "melancholisch"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "agúm",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "עגום"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "melankóli",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "מלנכולי"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "angurvær"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "löngunarfullur"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "vemodig"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "thoughtful",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zadúmčivyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "заду́мчивый"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "grústnyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "гру́стный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "english": "sad",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "pečálʹnyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "печа́льный"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sjetan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sjetan"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "setan"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "melancólico"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "vemodig"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "melankolisk"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "zadumlyvyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "word": "задумливий"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "sumnyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "сумний"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "melanxolijnyj",
      "sense": "sad and thoughtful",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "меланхолійний"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wistful"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wistful meaning in English (9.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-02 using wiktextract (ca09fec and c40eb85). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.