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327 Depression Essay Titles & Examples

When choosing a title about depression, you have to remain mindful since this is a sensitive subject. This is why our experts have listed 177 depression essay topics to help you get started.

🌧️ How to Write a Depression Essay: Do’s and Don’ts

🏆 unique titles about depression, 🥇 most interesting depression title ideas, 📌 good titles for depression essay, ✅ simple & easy depression essay titles, 🎓 interesting topics to write about depression, 📑 good research topics about depression.

• ❓ Research Questions for a Depression Essay

Depression is a disorder characterized by prolonged periods of sadness and loss of interest in life. The symptoms include irritability, insomnia, anxiety, and trouble concentrating. This disorder can produce physical problems, self-esteem issues, and general stress in a person’s life. Difficult life events and trauma are typical causes of depression. Want to find out more? Check out our compilation below.

A depression essay is an important assignment that will help you to explore the subject and its impact on people. Writing this type of paper may seem challenging at first, but there are some secrets that will make achieving a high grade much easier. Check below for a list of do’s and don’ts to get started!

DO select a narrow topic. Before starting writing, define the subject of the paper, and write down some possible titles. This will help you to focus your thoughts instead of offering generic information that can easily be found on Wikipedia. Consider writing about a particular population or about the consequences of depression. For example, a teenage depression essay could earn you excellent marks! If you find this step challenging, try searching for depression essay topics online. This will surely give you some inspiration.

DON’T copy from peers or other students. Today, tutors are usually aware of the power of the Internet and will check your paper for plagiarism. Hence, if you copy information from other depression essays, you could lose a lot of marks. You could search for depression essay titles or sample papers online, but avoid copying any details from these sources.

DO your research before starting. High-quality research is crucial when you write essays on mental health issues. There are plenty of online resources that could help you, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and others. To find relevant scientific articles, search for your primary and secondary topics of interest. Then filter results by relevance, publication date, and access type. This will help you to identify sources that you can view online and use to support your ideas.

DON’T rely on unverified sources. This is a crucial mistake many students make that usually results in failing the paper. Sources that are not academic, such as websites, blogs, and Wiki pages, may contain false or outdated information. Some exceptions are official publications and web pages of medical organizations, such as the CDC, APA, and the World Health Organization.

DO consider related health issues. Depression is often associated with other mental or physical health issues, so you should reflect on this in your paper. Some examples of problems related to depression are suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and panic attack disorder. To show your in-depth understanding of the issue, you could write a depression and anxiety essay that shows the relationship between the two. Alternatively, you can devote one or two paragraphs to examining the prevalence of other mental health problems in people with depression.

DON’T include personal opinions and experiences unless required. A good essay on the subject of depression should be focused and objective. Hence, you should rely on research rather than on your understanding of the theme. For example, if you have to answer the question “What is depression?” look for scientific articles or official publications that contain the definition rather than trying to explain it in your own words.

DON’T forget about structure. The structure of your essay helps to present arguments or points logically, thus assisting the reader in making sense of the information. A good thing to do is to write a depression essay outline before you start the paper. You should list your key points supported by relevant depression quotes from academic publications. Follow the outline carefully to avoid gaps and inconsistencies.

Use these do’s and don’ts, and you will be able to write an excellent paper on depression! If you want to see more tips and tricks that will help you elevate your writing, look around our website!

• Understanding Teen Depression Impacts of depression on teenagers Depression is characterized by several effects; however, most of them impact negatively to the teens. For instance, a considerable percentage of teens use extra-curriculum activities such as sports and games, […]
• Report Writing About Depression There is concrete evidence that many people in Australia tend to believe that depression is the cause of all suicide deaths in the world, but this not true.
• Depression and Grief in the “Ordinary People” Film At the end of the film, he is healed and ready to forgive his mother and stop blaming himself. I believe that the relationship between Conrad and his therapist, Dr.
• Beck Depression Inventory, Its History and Benefits Therefore, the detection of depression at its early stage, the evaluation of the risks, and the definition of the level of depression are the main goals.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Treating Depression CBT works on the principle that positive thoughts and behaviour heralds positive moods and this is something that can be learned; therefore, by learning to think and behave positively, someone may substitute negative thoughts with […]
• Obesity Co-Occurring With Depression The assessment will identify the patient with the two conditions, address the existing literature on the issue, examine how patients are affected by organizational and governmental policies, and propose strategies to improve the patient experience.
• Depression in the Lens of History and Humanities In terms of history, this paper analyzes the origin of depression and the progress made over the years in finding treatment and preventive mechanisms.
• The Problem of Childhood Depression Thus, it is essential to explore the reasons for the disease and possible ways to treat depression in kids. In kids, the prevention of depression is fundamental to understanding the cause of the poor mood […]
• Emotional Wellness: The Issue of Depression Through Different Lenses As for the humanities lens, the increasing prevalence of depression causes the institution of religion to incorporate the issue into major confessions’ mindsets and messages.
• The Difference Between Art Deco and Depression Modern Design By and whole, Art Deco and Depression differ in their characteristics and their meanings as they bring unlike messages to the viewers.
• Depression: A Cognitive Perspective Therefore, the cause of depression on this line may be a real shortage of skills, accompanied by negative self-evaluation because the individual is more likely to see the negative aspects or the skills he lacks […]
• Depression, Grief, Loss in “Ordinary People” Film The coach is curious to know Conrad’s experiences at the hospital and the use of ECT. Towards the end of the film, Conrad reveals to the therapist that he feels guilty about his brother’s death.
• Case Study of Depression and Mental Pressure Alison believes that her illness is severe and taking a toll all the time, and the environment is worsening the condition.
• Biological and Social-Cognitive Perspectives on Depression The social-cognitive perspective states that the disorder’s development is influenced by the events in the patient’s life and their way of thinking.
• Social Networking and Depression The findings of the study confirmed that once an individual engages in social networking, his or her feeling of safety goes down and depression mood emerges meaning that a correlation between depression and social networking […]
• Depression in Older Adults The understanding and modification of the contributions of these factors is the ultimate goal of the clinicians who engage in the treatment of depression.
• NICE Guidelines for Depression Management: Project Proposal This topic is of importance for VEGA because the center does not employ any specific depression management guidelines.
• PICO Analysis of Depression In other words, the causes of the given mental disorder can highly vary, and there is no sufficient evidence to point out a primary factor that triggers depression.
• Depression Among University Students The greatest majority of the affected individuals in different universities will be unable to take good care of their bodies and living rooms.
• Teenage Depression: Psychology-Based Treatment This finding underlines the need to interrogate the issue of depression’s ontology and epistemology. Hence, there is the need to have an elaborate and comprehensive policy for addressing teenage depression.
• Psychological Measures: The Beck Depression Inventory The BDI is used to evaluate levels of depression in patients and to observe the efficacy of other interventions such as antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy.
• Patients’ Depression and Practitioners’ Suggestions A questionnaire with 20 survey questions was designed to measure the degree of depression among patients with depression in two treatment groups with a view of establishing the influence of practitioners’ suggestions on the level […]
• Bipolar Expeditions: Mania and Depression Everyone always seems to focus on one side of the disorder, forgetting that there may be another aspect to depression that contributes to the individual’s mental state, and to the same extent.
• Depression Symptoms and Cognitive Behavior Therapy The tone of the article is informative and objective, throughout the text the authors maintain an academic and scientific mood. The structure of the article is well organized and easy to read.
• Proposal on Depression in Middle-Aged Women By understand the aspect of unhappiness among the young women; it will be easier for the healthcare institutions to formulate effective and appropriate approaches to reduce the menace in the society.
• Biological Psychology: Lesion Studies and Depression Detection The purpose of this article is to share the research findings and discussion on the new methodological developments of Lesion studies.
• Using AI to Diagnose and Treat Depression One of the main features of AI is the ability to machine learning, that is, to use data from past experiences to learn and modify algorithms in the future.
• Artificial Intelligence Bot for Depression By increasing the availability and accessibility of mental health services, these technologies may also contribute to the development of cognitive science practices in Malaysia.
• COVID-Related Depression: Lingering Signs of Depression The purpose of the article is to depict the research in a more approachable way, while the latter accentuates the importance of various factors and flaws of the results. While the former is more simplified, […]
• Depression and Anxiety Among African Americans Finally, it should be insightful to understand the attitudes of friends and family members, so 5 additional interviews will be conducted with Black and White persons not having the identified mental conditions. The selected mental […]
• Depression in Dialysis Patients: Treatment and Management If I were to conduct experimental research about the treatment and management of depression in dialysis patients, I would focus on finding the most effective and safe medication for the condition among adults.
• The Serotonin Theory of Depression by Moncrieff et al. The serotonin theory of depression is closely related to antidepressants since the advent of SSRIs played a significant role in the popularization of the theory.
• Avery’s Depression in “The Flick” Play by Baker The emotional and mental state of Avery, the only African-American character out of the three, is fairly obvious from the get-go when asked about why he is so depressed, the answer is: “Um.
• Depression: A Quantitative-Qualitative Analysis A decision tree can be used due to the nature of the research question or hypothesis in place, the measurement of the dependent or research variable, the number of groups or independent variable levels, and […]
• Depression Detection Tests Analysis The problem of the abundance of psychological tests leads to the need to compare multiple testing options for indicators of their purpose, features, and interpretations of the evaluation and validity.
• Nursing Care for Patients With COVID-19 & Depression The significance of the selected problem contributed to the emergence of numerous research works devoted to the issue. This approach to choosing individuals guaranteed the increased credibility of findings and provided the authors with the […]
• 16 Personality Factors Test for Depression Patient Pablos results, it is necessary to understand the interaction and pattern of the scores of the primary factors. A combination of high Apprehension and high Self-Reliance is a pattern describing a tendency to isolate oneself.
• Depression in a 30-Year-Old Female Client In the given case, it would be useful to identify the patterns in Alex’s relationships and reconsider her responses to her partner.
• Using the Neuman Model in the Early Diagnosis of Depression In the history of the academic development of nursing theories, there are a variety of iconic figures who have made significant contributions to the evolution of the discipline: one of them is Betty Neuman.
• Depression in Primary Care: Screening and Diagnosis The clinical topics for this research are the incidence of depression in young adults and how to diagnose this disorder early in the primary care setting using screening tools such as PHQ9.
• Major Depression and Cognitive Behavior Therapy Since the intervention had no significant effect on Lola, the paper will explore the physical health implication of anxiolytics and antidepressants in adolescents, including the teaching strategies that nurses can utilize on consumers to recognize […]
• Jungian Psychotherapy for Depression and Anxiety They work as a pizza delivery man in their spare time from scientific activities, and their parents also send them a small amount of money every month.S.migrated to New York not only to get an […]
• COVID-19 and Depression: The Impact of Nursing Care and Technology Nevertheless, combatting depression is a crucial step in posing positive achievements to recover from mental and physical wellness caused by COVID-19.
• Depression Disorder Intervention The researchers evaluated the socioemotional signs of mental illnesses in a sample of diagnostically referred adolescents with clinical depression required to undergo regular cognitive behavioral therapy in a medical setting.
• Financial Difficulties in Childhood and Adult Depression in Europe The authors found that the existence of closer ties between the catalyst of depression and the person suffering from depression leads to worse consequences.
• Activity During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression Studies have shown that women’s mood and cardiorespiratory fitness improve when they engage in moderate-intensity physical activity in the weeks and months after giving birth to a child.
• Clinical Depression: Causes and Development Therefore, according to Aaron Beck, the causes and development of depression can be explained through the concepts of schema and negative cognitive triad.
• Aspects of Working With Depression It also contributes to the maintenance and rooting of a bad mood, as the patient has sad thoughts due to the fact that the usual does not cause satisfaction.
• Depression Among Nurses in COVID-19 Wards The findings are of great significance to researchers and governments and can indicate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among nurses working in COVID-19 wards in the North-East of England during the pandemic.
• Depression Associated With Sleep Disorders Y, Chang, C. Consequently, it directly affects the manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and periodic limb movement disorder in people with depression.
• Depression in a 25-Year-Old Male Patient Moreover, a person in depression complains of the slowness in mental processes, notes the oppression of instincts, the loss of the instinct of self-preservation, and the lack of the ability to enjoy life.
• Aspects and Manifestation of Depression Although, symptoms of depression in young people, in contrast to older adults, are described by psychomotor agitation or lethargy, fatigue, and loss of energy.
• Complementary Therapy for Postpartum Depression in Primary Care Thus, the woman faced frustration and sadness, preventing her from taking good care of the child, and the lack of support led to the emergence of concerns similar to those in the past.
• Depression and Anxiety Clinical Case Many of the factors come from the background and life experiences of the patient. The client then had a chance to reflect on the results and think of the possible alternative thoughts.
• Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes and Depression Treatment The data synthesis demonstrates that carefully chosen depression and anxiety treatment is likely to result in better A1C outcomes for the patient on the condition that the treatment is regular and convenient for the patients.
• Technology to Fight Postpartum Depression in African American Women I would like to introduce the app “Peanut” the social network designed to help and unite women exclusively, as a technology aimed at fighting postpartum depression in African American Women.
• Complementary Therapy in Treatment of Depression Such practices lower the general level of anxiety and remove the high risks of manifestation of states of abulia, that is, clinical lack of will and acute depression.
• Social Determinants of Health and Depression Among African American Adults The article “Social Determinants of Health and Depression among African American Adults: A Scoping Review of Current Research” examines the current research on the relationship between social determinants of health and depression among African American […]
• Outcomes Exercise Has on Depression for People Between 45-55 Years According to the WHO, the rate of depression in the U.S.was 31. 5% as of October 2021, with the majority of the victims being adults aged between 45 and 55 years.
• The Postpartum Depression in Afro-Americans Policy The distribution of the funds is managed and administered on the state level. Minnesota and Maryland focused on passing the legislation regulating the adoption of Medicaid in 2013.
• Depression Among the Medicare Population in Maryland The statistics about the prevalence and comorbidity rates of depression are provided from the Medicare Chronic Conditions Dashboard and are portrayed in the table included in the paper.
• Depression as Public Health Population-Based Issue In regard to particular races and ethnicities, CDC provided the following breakdown of female breast cancer cases and deaths: White women: 128 new cases and 20 deaths per 100.
• Managing Mental Health Medications for Depression and its Ethical Contradiction The second objective is to discover ethical contradictions in such treatment for people of various cultures and how different people perceive the disorder and react to the medication.
• Aspects of Depression and Obesity In some cases, people with mild to severe depression choose not to seek professional care and instead try to overcome their depression with self-help or the support of family and friends.
• Antidepressant Treatment of Adolescent Depression At the same time, scientists evidenced that in the case of negative exposure to stress and depression, the human organism diminishes BDNF expression in the hippocampus.
• Online Peer Support Groups for Depression and Anxiety Disorder The main objective of peer support groups is connecting people with the same life experiences and challenges to share and support each other in healing and recovery.
• Depression in Adolescence and Treatment Approaches The age of adolescence, commonly referred to as children aged 10-19, is characterized by a variety of changes to one’s physical and mental health, as the child undergoes several stages of adjustment to the environment […]
• Emotional Encounter With a Patient With Major Depression Disorder I shared this idea with him and was trying to create the treatment plan, sharing some general thoughts on the issue.
• Childhood Depression in Sub-Saharan Africa According to Sterling et al, depression in early childhood places a significant load on individuals, relatives, and society by increasing hospitalization and fatality and negatively impacting the quality of life during periods of severe depression.
• Anxiety and Depression Among College Students The central hypothesis for this study is that college students have a higher rate of anxiety and depression. Some of the materials to be used in the study will include pencils, papers, and tests.
• Anxiety and Depression: The Case Study As he himself explained, he is not used to positive affirmation due to low self-esteem, and his family experiences also point to the fact that he was not comforted often as a child.
• Breastfeeding and Risk of Postpartum Depression The primary goal of the research conducted by Islam et al.was to analyze the correlation between exclusive breastfeeding and the risk of postpartum depression among new mothers.
• Nursing Intervention in Case of Severe Depression The patient was laid off from work and went through a divorce in the year. This led to a change in prescribed medications, and the patient was put on tricyclic anti-depressants.
• Screening for Depression in Acute Care The literature review provides EB analysis for the topic of depression to identify the need for an appropriate screening tool in addition to the PHQ-9 in the assessment evaluation process.
• Social Media Use and the Risk of Depression Thapa and Subedi explain that the reason for the development of depressive symptoms is the lack of face to face conversation and the development of perceived isolation. Is there a relationship between social media use […]
• Depression in the Field of a Healthcare Administrator According to Davey and Harrison, the most challenging part of healthcare administration in terms of depression is the presence of distorted views, shaped by patients’ thoughts.
• The Treatment of Adolescents With Depression While treating a teenager with depression, it is important to maintain the link between the cause of the mental illness’ progression and the treatment.
• Depression in the Black Community The speaker said that her counselor was culturally sensitive, which presumes that regardless of the race one belongs to, a specialist must value their background.
• Loneliness and Depression During COVID-19 While the article discusses the prevalence of loneliness and depression among young people, I agree that young people may be more subject to mental health problems than other population groups, but I do not agree […]
• Depression Screening in the Acute Setting Hence, it is possible to develop a policy recommending the use of the PHQ-9, such as the EBDST, in the acute setting.
• Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Neurobiology and Applications It is known that a violation of the functions of the serotonergic pathways leads to various mental deviations, the most typical of which is clinical depression.
• Treating Obesity Co-Occurring With Depression In most cases, the efficiency of obesity treatment is relatively low and commonly leads to the appearance of a comorbid mental health disorder depression.
• Treadmill Exercise Ameliorates Social Isolation-Induced Depression The groups included: the social isolation group, the control group, and the exercise and social isolation and exercise group. In the treadmill exercise protocol, the rat pups ran on the treadmill once a day for […]
• Depression and Anxiety Among Chronic Pain Patients The researchers used The Depression Module of the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale to interview participants, evaluate their answers, and conduct the study.
• Postpartum Depression in African American Women As far as African American women are concerned, the issue becomes even more complex due to several reasons: the stigma associated with the mental health of African American women and the mental health complications that […]
• The Depression Construct and Instrument Analysis For the therapist, this scaling allows to assess the general picture of the patient’s psychological state and obtain a result that is suitable for measurement.
• The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on Depression in Adults Introduction It is hard to disagree that there is a vast number of mental disorders that prevent people from leading their normal lives and are quite challenging to treat. One such psychological condition is depression (Li et al., 2020). Since there is a social stigma of depression, and some of its symptoms are similar to […]
• Stress and Depression Among Nursing Students The study aims to determine how different the manifestations of stress and depression are among American nursing students compared to students of other disciplines and what supports nursing students in continuing their education.
• Depression in Diabetes Patients The presence of depression concomitant to diabetes mellitus prevents the adaptation of the patient and negatively affects the course of the underlying disease.
• Depression among Homosexual Males The literature used for the research on the paper aims to overview depression among homosexual males and describe the role of the nurse and practices based on the Recovery Model throughout the depression.
• “What the Depression Did to People” by Edward Robb Ellis Nevertheless, the way the facts are grouped and delivered could be conducive to students’ ability to develop a clearer picture of the catastrophic downturn’s influences on the nation’s and the poor population’s mentalities.
• Economic Inequality During COVID-19: Correlation With Depression and Addiction Thus, during the pandemic, people with lower incomes experienced depression and increased their addictive behaviors to cope with the stress of COVID-19.
• Depression in the Black and Minority Ethnic Groups The third sector of the economy includes all non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary, philanthropic, and charitable organizations and social enterprises specializing in various types of activities, which did not find a place in either the public or […]
• A Description on the Topic Screening Depression If there is the implementation of evidence-based care, a reduction in the proportion of disability for patients with depression would be expected. A proposal was written describing the need for screening depression patients of nearly […]
• “Disclosure of Symptoms of Postnatal Depression, …” by Carolyn Chew-Graham Critique In light of hypothesizing the research question, the researchers suggest that health practitioners have the ability to create a conducive environment for the disclosure of information.
• Depression – Psychotherapeutic Treatment Taking into account the fact that the specialist is not able to prescribe the medicine or a sort of treatment if he/she is not sure in the positive effect it might have on the health […]
• Depression as a Major Health Issue The purpose of the study was to examine the implications of cognitive behavior approaches for depression in old women receiving health care in different facilities.
• Effective Ways to Address Anxiety and Depression Looking deep into the roots of the problem will provide a vast and detailed vision of it, and will help to develop ways to enhance the disorders.
• Einstepam: The Treatment of Depression The treatment of depression has greatly revolutionized since the development of tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors in the 1950s. In the brain, it inhibits the NMDA receptors and isoforms of NOS.
• The Potential of Psilocybin in Treating Depression First of all, it is essential to understand the general effects of psilocybin on the brain that are present in the current literature.
• Depression Among High School Students The major problem surrounding depression among adolescents is that they are rarely diagnosed in time and therefore do not receive treatment they need.
• Depression: Diagnostics, Prevention and Treatment Constant communication with the patient and their relatives, purposeful questioning of the patient, special scales and tests, active observation of the patient’s appearance and behavior are the steps in the nursing diagnosis of depression.
• Depression and Anxiety Intervention Plan John’s Wort to intervene for her condition together with the prescribed anti-depressant drugs, I would advise and educate her on the drug-to-drug relations, and the various complications brought about by combining St. Conducting proper patient […]
• Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Therapy On the other hand, behavioral therapy relies on the assumption that “both abnormal behavior and normal behavior are learned”. The two approaches are thus highly complementary, as while humanistic therapy aims at perceiving and resolving […]
• The Use of Psychedelic Drugs in Treating Depression This study aims to establish whether depressive patients can significantly benefit from psilocybin without substantial side effects like in the case of other psychedelic drugs.
• Postpartum Depression Among the Low-Income U.S. Mothers Mothers who take part in the programs develop skills and knowledge to use the existing social entities to ensure that they protect themselves from the undesirable consequences associated with the PPD and other related psychological […]
• The Beck Depression Contrast (BDI) The second difference between the two modes of the BDI is in the methodology of conducting the survey. This is where the interviewer first gets the history of the patient to try and get the […]
• Depression: Description, Symptoms and Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment A diagnosis is made in situations where the symptoms persist for at least two weeks and lead to a change in the individual’s level of functioning.
• Psychedelic Drugs and Their Effects on Anxiety and Depression The participants must also be willing to remain in the study for the duration of the experiments and consent to the drugs’ use.
• VEGA Medical Center: The Quality of Depression Management This presentation is going to provide an overview of a project dedicated to the implementation of NICE guidelines at the VEGA Medical Center.
• Anxiety and Depression in Hispanic Youth in Monmouth County Therefore, the Health Project in Monmouth County will help Hispanic children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 to cope with anxiety and depression through behavioral therapy.
• Anxiety Disorders and Depression In her case, anxiety made her feel that she needed to do more, and everything needed to be perfect. She noted that the background of her depression and anxiety disorders was her family.
• Clinical Case Report: Depression It is possible to assume that being in close contact with a person who has depression also increases the probability of experiencing its symptoms.
• Interventions for Treating Depression after Stroke Inherently, the link between depression and stroke can be analyzed on the basis of post-stroke depression that is identified as the major neuropsychiatric corollary of stroke.
• Depression: The Implications and Challenges in Managing the Illness At home, these people lack interest in their family and are not be able to enjoy the shared activities and company of the family.
• Expression Symptoms of Depression A major finding of the critique is that although the research method and design are appropriate to this type of study, the results may be speculative in their validity and reliability as the researchers used […]
• Researching Postnatal Depression Health professionals suggest that the fluctuations in the level of hormones cause changes in the chemical composition of the brain. The researcher has stated that the sample was selected from the general practitioners and health […]
• The Older Women With Depression Living in Long-Term Care The researchers used the probability-sampling method to select the institutions that were included in the study. The health care professionals working in the nursing homes were interviewed to ascertain the diagnosis of depression as well […]
• Medical Evaluation: 82-Year-Old Patient With Depression Her extreme level of weakness unfolded when the patient admitted that she lacked the strength to stand on her feet and to head back to her sleeping bed on a disastrous night.Mrs.
• Depression in Adults: Community Health Needs The challenge of depression in the elderly is the recognition of signs and symptoms or the frequent underreporting of the symptoms of depression in adults over the age of 65.
• The Discussion about Depression in Older Patients Depression is often identified as the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the elderly and is usually determined by symptoms that belong to somatic, affective, and cognitive categories.
• Depression in Older People in Australia Although a good number of depressed elderly patients aspire to play an active role in the treatment decision-making process, some prefer to delegate this role to their doctors.
• In-Vitro Fertilization and Postpartum Depression The research was conducted through based on professional information sources and statistical data collected from the research study used to further validate the evidence and outcome of this study.
• Depression: Screening and Diagnosis What he tries to do is to live a day and observe the changes that occur around. What do you do to change your attitude to life?
• Depression in Australia. Evaluation of Different Factors In attempts to identify the biological causes of depression, the researchers focus on the analysis of brain functioning, chemical mediators, their correlations with the neurologic centers in the brain, and impact on the limbic system […]
• Mental Health Paper: Depression The prevalence of mental health conditions has been the subject of many studies, with most of these highlighting the increase in these illnesses.
• The Two Hit Model of Cytokine-Induced-Depression The association between IL-6 polymorphism and reduced risk of depressive symptoms confirms the role of the inflammatory response system in the pathophysiology of IFN-alpha-induced depression.
• Ante-Partum & Postpartum Exposure to Maternal Depression The researchers engaged in the research work on this particular study topic by approaching it on the basis of maternal behavior and circumstances, as they connect to depressive conditions in their own lives and the […]
• Depression in Australia, How Treat This Disorder According to The World Health Organization, depression is defined as a disorder in the mental health system that is presented with feelings of guiltiness, low concentration, and a decrease in the need for sleep.
• Steroid Use and Teen Depression In this manner, the researcher will be in a position to determine which of the two indicators is strongest, and then later, the indicators can be narrowed down to the most basic and relevant.
• Depression Among Minority Groups Mental disorders are among the major problems facing the health sector in America and across the world in the contemporary society.
• Aspects and Definition of Depression: Psychiatry This is the personal counseling of a patient with the doctor, and it is one of the very best processes. In the case of a physician dealing with a mental patient, the most preferable way […]
• Dual Illness – Depression and Alcohol Abuse The intention of the research paper is to assess if indeed there is an association between alcoholism as manifested by Jackson, and a case of depression.
• Depression and Paranoid Personality Disorder Bainbridge include: The analysis of paranoia and anxiety caused by substance abuse reveals that the diagnosis can be correct based on the symptoms, but the long-lasting nature of the symptoms rejects this diagnosis in favor […]
• Antidepressant Drugs for Depression or Dysthymia These are the newer form of antidepressant that are based on both the principle of serotonin reuptake prevention and norepinephrine action.
• The Relationship of Type 2 Diabetes and Depression Type 2 diabetes is generally recognized as an imbalance between insulin sensitivity and beta cell function We have chosen a rural area in Wisconsin where we can focus our study and select a group of […]
• Teenage Depression and Alcoholism There also has been a demonstrated connection between alcoholism and depression in all ages; as such, people engage in alcoholism as a method of self medication to dull the feelings of depression, hopelessness and lack […]
• “Relationships of Problematic Internet Use With Depression”: Study Strengths and Weaknesses One of the study strengths is that the subject selection process is excellently and well-designed, where the subjects represent the study sample, in general.
• Depression Treatment: Biopsychosocial Theory More to the point, the roles of nurses, an interprofessional team, and the patient’s family will be examined regarding the improvement of Majorie’s health condition.
• Postpartum Depression and Its Impact on Infants The goal of this research was “to investigate the prevalence of maternal depressive symptoms at 5 and 9 months postpartum in a low-income and predominantly Hispanic sample, and evaluate the impact on infant weight gain, […]
• Postpartum Depression: Statistics and Methods of Diagnosis The incorporation of the screening tools into the existing electronic medical support system has proved to lead to positive outcomes for both mothers and children.
• Comorbidity of Depression and Pain It is also known that dysregulation of 5-HT receptors in the brain is directly related to the development of depression and the regulation of the effects of substance P, glutamate, GABA and other pain mediators. […]
• Hallucinations and Geriatric Depression Intervention Sandy has asserted further that the cleaners at the residence have been giving him the wrong medication since they are conspiring to end his life with the FBI.Mr.
• Changes in Approaches to the Treatment of Depression Over the Past Decade In spite of the fact that over the past decade many approaches to the treatment of depression remained the same, a lot of new methods appeared and replaced some old ones due to the development […]
• Management of Treatment-Resistant Depression The significance of the problem, the project’s aims, the impact that the project may have on the nursing practice, and the coverage of this condition are the primary focuses of this paper.
• Depression and Anxiety in Dialysis Patients However, the study indicates the lack of research behind the connection of depression and cognitive impairment, which is a significant limitation to the conclusive statement.
• Adolescent Grief and Depression In looking for an activity that may help him or her keep away from the pain he or she is experiencing, the victim may decide to engage in sexual activities. Later, the adolescent is also […]
• Suicide and Depression in Students Students who belong to racial and ethnic minorities constitute the group of risk connected with high depression and suicidal rates and it is the primary task of health teachers to reduce suicidal rates among all […]
• Depression Disorder: Key Factors Epidemiology refers to the study of the distribution and determinants of health related events in specific populations and its applications to health problems.
• Depression Effects of School Children However the present difficulties that he is going through being a 16 year old; may be associated to a possible cause of Down syndrome complications, or the feelings and behavioral deficiency he associates to the […]
• Depression, Hallucination, and Suicide: Mental Cases How they handle the process determines the kind of aftermath they will experience for instance it can take the route of hallucinations which is treatable or suicide which is irreversible thus how each case is […]
• Depression, Its Perspective and Management Therefore this paper seeks to point out that stress is a major ingredient of depression; show the causes, symptoms, highlight how stresses is manifested in different kinds of people, show how to manage stress that […]
• Daily Living, Depression, and Social Support Activities of Elderly Turkish People Navigating the delicate and often convoluted maze of the current issues affecting the elderly has continued to present challenges to the professionals in the field especially with the realization that these issues and needs are […]
• The Theory of Personality Psychology During Depression The study concerns personality pathology, and the results of the treatment given to patients who are under depression, and how personalities may have adverse effects on the consequences of the cure.
• Depression and the Media Other components of the cognitive triad of depression are the aspect of seeing the environment as overwhelming and that one is too small to make an impact and also seeing the future as bleak and […]
• Poor Body Image, Anxiety, and Depression: Women Who Undergo Breast Implants H02: There is no difference in overt attractiveness to, and frequency of intimacy initiated by, the husband or cohabitating partner of a breast implant patient both before and after the procedure.
• Reducing Anxiety and Depression With Exercise Regardless of the type of results achieved, it is recommendable for people undergoing mental problems like depression and anxiety to exercise regularly.
• Stress, Depression and Psychoneuroimmunology The causes and symptoms of stress may vary from person to person and the symptoms can be mental as well as physical.
• A Critical Evaluation of Major Depression This paper has actively shown how factors such as financial insecurity, job loss, income, and educational inequalities, lifestyle diseases, and breakdown of the social fabric have acted to propel the mental disorder by making use […]
• Depression, Substance Abuse and Suicide in Elderly While significant body of research has been devoted to the study of depression in elderly, little attention has been paid to the investigation of substance abuse, emotional instability, burden feelings, and depression.
• Adult Depression Sufferer’s and Withdrawal From Family and Friends
• Depression: Helping Students in the Classroom
• Major Depression: Treating Depression in the Context of Marital Discord
• Family Therapy for Treating Major Depression
• Adverse Childhood Experiences Cause Depression
• Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease
• Rumination, Perfectionism and Depression in Young People
• “Gender Differences in Depression” by Nolen-Hoeksema
• Anxiety and Depression Disorders
• Beck’s Cognitive Therapy Approach to Depression Treatment
• Cannabis Abuse Increases the Risk of Depression
• Depression: Risk Factors, Incidence, Preventive Measures & Prognostic Factors
• Depression Diagnostics Methods
• Concept Analysis of Loneliness, Depression, Self-esteem
• Teen Suicide and Depression
• Depression and Diabetes Association in Adults
• The Correlation Between Perfectionism and Depression
• Geriatric Dementia, Delirium, and Depression
• Dementia, Delirium, and Depression in Older Adults
• Dealing with Depression in the Workplace
• Depression in People With Alcohol Dependence
• Depression and Anxiety Due to School and Work-Related Stress
• Creating a Comprehensive Psychological Treatment Plan: Depression
• Experimental Psychology. Bouldering for Treating Depression
• Depression and Psychotherapy in Adolescence
• Postpartum Depression: Treatment and Therapy
• Atypical Depression Symptoms and Treatment
• Dementia, Delirium, and Depression in Frail Elders
• Depression & Patient Safety: Speak Up Program
• Mindfulness Meditation Therapy in Depression Cases
• A Review of Postpartum Depression and Continued Post Birth Support
• Psychodynamic Therapy for Depression
• Depression Screening in Primary Care for Adolescents
• Freud’s Depression: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions
• Optimal Mental Health Approaches: Depression & Anxiety
• Depression as a Psychological Disorder
• Great Depression in “A Worn Path” by Eudora Welty
• Depression in Adolescents and Interventions
• Bipolar Disorder: Reoccurring Hypomania & Depression
• Postpartum Depression: Understanding the Needs of Women
• Major Depression Treatment During Pregnancy
• Traditional Symptoms of Depression
• Social Media Impact on Depression and Eating Disorder
• Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents
• Depression Studies and Online Research Sources
• Drug Abuse and Depression Treatment
• Depression Explanation in Psychological Theories
• Food Insecurity and Depression in Poor Families
• Peer Popularity and Depression Among Adolescents
• Alcohol Abuse, Depression and Human Trafficking
• Depression Assessment Using Intake Notes
• Depression in Adolescents and Cognitive Therapy
• Diagnosing Depression: Implementation and Evaluation Plan
• Beck Depression Inventory: Evaluation Plan
• Depression in Iranian Women and Health Policies
• Depression Patients and Psychiatrist’s Work
• Depression Patients’ Needs and Treatment Issues
• Suicide and Depression: Connection, Signs and Age
• Health Promotion: Depression Awareness in Teenagers
• Depression and Cancer in Caucasian Female Patient
• Depression in Patients with Comorbidity
• Depression After Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment
• Depression and Psychosis: 32-Year-Old Female Patient
• Postpartum Depression and Acute Depressive Symptoms
• Women with Heart Disease: Risk of Depression
• Postpartum Depression and Its Peculiarities
• Exercises as a Treatment for Depression
• Depression Treatment Changes in 2006-2017
• Depression in Elders: Social Factors
• Depression Among High School Students
• False Memories in Patients with Depression
• Postpartum Depression Analysis in “Yellow Wallpaper”
• The Canadian Depression Causes
• Widowhood Effects on Men’s and Women’s Depression
• Teen Website: Fish Will Keep Depression Away
• Obesity and Major Depression Association
• Fast Food, Obesity, Depression, and Other Issues
• Depression in the Future Public Health
• Depression: Patients With a Difficult Psychological State
• Depression: Pathophysiology and Treatment
• Stress, Depression, and Responses to Them
• Depression and Melancholia Expressed by Hamlet
• Beck Depression Inventory in Psychological Practice
• Problem of the Depression in Teenagers
• Supporting the Health Needs of Patients With Parkinson’s, Preeclampsia, and Postpartum Depression
• Depression and Its Causes in the Modern Society
• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale Application
• Yoga for Depression and Anxiety
• Sleep Disturbance, Depression, Anxiety Correlation
• Depression in Late Life: Interpersonal Psychotherapy
• Postpartum Depression and Comorbid Disorders
• Arab-Americans’ Acculturation and Depression
• Organizational Behaviour: Depression in the Workplace
• Relationship Between Depression and Sleep Disturbance
• Child’s Mental Health and Depression in Adulthood
• Parents’ Depression and Toddler Behaviors
• Managing Stress and Depression at Work Places – Psychology
• Job’ Stress and Depression
• Depression Measurements – Psychology
• Methodological Bias Associated with Sex Depression
• Relationship Between Sleep and Depression in Adolescence
• The Effects of Depression on Physical Activity
• Psychological Disorder: Depression
• Depression and Workplace Violence
• The Effects of Forgiveness Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress for Women After Spousal Emotional Abuse
• Depression Diagnosis and Theoretical Models
• The Impact of Exercise on Women Who Suffer From Depression
• Evolutionary Psychology: Depression
• Effect of Social Media on Depression
• Depression in the Elderly
• Poly-Substance Abuse in Adolescent Males With Depression
• How Does Peer Pressure Contribute to Adolescent Depression?
• How Do Genetic and Environmental Factors Contribute To The Expression of Depression?
• Depression and Cognitive Therapy
• Cognitive Treatment of Depression
• Book Review: “Breadwinning Daughters: Young Women Working in a Depression- Era City, 1929-1939” by Katrina Srigley
• Depression: A Critical Evaluation
• Psychopharmacological Treatment for Depression
• “Breadwinning Daughters: Young Working Women in a Depression-Era City” by Katrina Srigley
• Depression in female adolescents
• Interpersonal Communication Strategies Regarding Depression
• Depression: Law Enforcement Officers and Stress
• Social Influences on Behavior: Towards Understanding Depression and Alcoholism Based on Social Situations
• Depression Experiences in Law Enforcement
• Childhood Depression & Bi-Polar Disorder
• Depression Psychological Evaluation
• Concept of Childhood Depression
• Correlation Between Multiple Pregnancies and Postpartum Depression or Psychosis
• Depression and Its Effects on Participants’ Performance in the Workplace
• Catatonic Depression: Etiology and Management
• The Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) Measure
• Depression: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
• Depression Levels and Development
• Depression Treatment: Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
• Concept of Depression Disorder
• Does Divorce Have a Greater Impact on Men than on Women in Terms of Depression?
• Oral versus Written Administration of the Geriatric Depression Scale

❓Research Questions for a Depression Essay

• Does Poverty Impact Depression in African American Adolescents and the Development of Suicidal Ideations?
• Does Neighborhood Violence Lead to Depression Among Caregivers of Children With Asthma?
• Does Parent Depression Correspond With Child Depression?
• How Depression Affects Our Lives?
• Does Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Have an Effect on Depression Levels in Elderly Women?
• How Can Overcome Depression Through 6 Lifestyle Changes?
• Does Maternal Depression Have a Negative Effect on Parent-Child Attachment?
• Can Providers’ Education About Postpartum Depression?
• Can Vacation Help With Depression?
• How Children Deal With Depression?
• Can Diet Help Stop Depression and Violence?
• Does Depression Assist Eating Disorders?
• Does Depression Lead to Suicide and Decreased Life Expectancy?
• Can Obesity Cause Depression?
• Can Exercise Increase Fitness and Reduce Weight in Patients With Depression?
• Does Fruit and Vegetable Consumption During Adolescence Predict Adult Depression?
• Does Depression Cause Cancer?
• Does Money Relieve Depression?
• Does the Average Person Experience Depression Throughout Their Life?
• Are Vaccines Cause Depression?
• Does Social Anxiety Lead to Depression?
• Does Stress Cause Depression?
• How Bipolar and Depression Are Linked?
• Does Postpartum Depression Affect Employment?
• Does Postpartum Depression Predict Emotional and Cognitive Difficulties in 11-Year-Olds?
• Does Regular Exercise Reduce Stress Levels, and Thus Reduce Symptoms of Depression?
• Does the Natural Light During Winters Really Create Depression?
• How Can Art Overcome Depression?
• How Anxiety and Depression Are Connected?
• Does Positive Psychology Ease Symptoms of Depression?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 24). 327 Depression Essay Titles & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/depression-essay-examples/

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120+ Sad Words List To Use In Your Writing

If you’re looking for a sad words list to help you convey melancholy in your writing, read on.

This comprehensive sad words list should help you improve your vocabulary and express your glum feelings adequately. As not everything you write will have a positive connotation, it’s important to know alternative ways to express sadness in your writing.

While you’re here, check out our list of mood words for literature .

Sad Words List Printable

Sad words list, what are other words for sad.

The word “sad” is most commonly used to express the feeling of being unhappy. But in many situations, there might be a better way to describe how you feel instead of using the aforementioned three-letter word. 

She was aggrieved at his harsh words.

John made an agonizing decision to leave her.

He may have seemed indifferent, but he was anguished on the inside.

Maria felt bad about hurting him that way.

Jack expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.

His death left her feeling bitter and lonely.

I don’t want to go outside; the weather is bleak and murky.

Jennie felt blue for weeks after her cat passed away.

She was so broken about the breakup, sobbing and refusing to leave the house for weeks at the time.

• Brokenhearted

Mike was brokenhearted when his wife suddenly died from a heart attack .

She is not easily cast down by harsh criticism and bad reviews of her work.

The room was cold and cheerless, with dimmed lights and floors made of stone.

• Comfortless

I feel comfortless when I see older people struggling to make ends meet.

• Crestfallen

She was crestfallen when she got laid off, but she tried hiding it.

He’s depressed, so everything seems dark and gloomy to him.

I feel dejected as I am angry that he left so suddenly without saying goodbye.

• Demoralized

The team was demoralized after losing the match again.

The refugees were living in deplorable conditions after fleeing the warzone.

The death of her child left her feeling depressed for life.

The town looks desolate after the war, with empty storefronts and barricaded doors.

She felt helpless and despairing after discovering she had terminal cancer .

Sarah found herself becoming increasingly despondent as her work was rejected over and over again.

The kids were devastated that the fair was canceled at the last minute.

Listening to her singing with that diabolical voice was painful.

• Disappointed

They were very disappointed when their daughter dropped out of college to start a modeling career.

• Discomposed

He was obviously discomposed during the speech; his voice was shaky and quiet.

• Disconsolate

While dealing with depression, I felt like the most disconsolate person alive.

• Discouraged

She was very discouraged from getting a bad grade on the exam.

• Disheartened

Jack checks his mailbox every day and returns, disheartened by the lack of letters from her.

With how things are going right now, the future seems bleak and dismal .

The army was dispirited after yet another lost battle.

She is still too distraught to talk to the police about the assault.

The news of his death distressed his mother deeply.

With the main character dying in the end, this movie is too disturbing for me to watch.

All the dogs had their doleful eyes pinned on me while I was enjoying my sandwich.

It’s pretty silent here, aside from an occasional dolorous cry of a wolf coming from the woods.

I was down for weeks after losing my job.

He also has bipolar disorder: sometimes fidgety, sometimes downcast .

• Downhearted

Instead of being downhearted about it, you should do something to change the outcome.

• Down in the dumps

I’ve been down in the dumps since my favorite team lost in the finals.

• Down in the mouth

Despite everyone having fun at the party, Jane seemed down in the mouth before eventually leaving early.

Unfortunately, the weather was gloomy and dreadful for the entire trip.

After living in this dreary apartment for so long, I’ve finally found a more lively place to move into.

Her eyes would get all droopy when seeing him struggle to do anything after the accident left him in a wheelchair.

His stories are elegiac, dramatic, and obsessed with death.

Christine will fall apart if her dad dies.

• Fall to pieces

My heart fell to pieces after I broke up with my partner of many years.

After the war, the house stood forlorn and empty for years before finally being renovated this year.

As soon as she addressed the group in a funereal tone, everyone knew what she was about to say.

The gloomy memories still haunt him to this day.

She seemed quite glum after receiving the news.

At the house, the mood was gray as everyone was hoping for news from the hospital. 

No plant will thrive in this grim and dark space.

• Grief-stricken

He was grief-stricken and inconsolable after his mother passed away.

The grieving family is still battling to come to terms with their loss. 

I was gutted when they left.

Her hangdog face said it all: nothing has gone according to plan.

• Heartbroken

Obviously, she was heartbroken after he left her.

• Heartrending

Seeing his parents struggling to make ends meet while he lived a luxurious life in the city was heartrending .

The kids were heartsick to learn of their parents’ divorce.

• Heartsore 

They had no idea how heartsore she felt after the breakup.

• Heart-wrenching

She couldn’t hold back tears while reading his heart-wrenching letter.

• Heavy-hearted

Mike had to put on his best smiley face even though he felt heavy-hearted .

I felt so hopeless after the doctor told me the disease was untreatable.

I don’t think he’d want to go out with us; he’s still hurting about the loss of his mother.

• Inconsolable

The kids were inconsolable after the trip to Disneyland was canceled.

I was in agony from the news after the bus crash.

• In the doldrums

He’s been in the doldrums ever since he lost his job.

• In the dumps

I feel like I’m down in the dumps whenever I spend winter in the mountains.

Jane was in tears after finding out the news about her brother.

Finally, the papers are signed, and she’s out of that joyless marriage.

• Knocked sideways

She was knocked sideways by her father’s illness.

After three relatively upbeat songs, he switched to his lachrymose repertoire.

Nelson’s lack of understanding is lamentable .

She languished in her home alone for years before getting help.

The class was silent while he read his leaden essay about the hardships of his family.

All that rain made me feel listless .

You shouldn’t tell her such depressing things when she’s already feeling low .

• Low-spirited

No matter what I said or did, Jack was too low-spirited to be cheered up.

He looked so lugubrious, as if he was about to cry at any moment.

• Lump in one’s throat

I had a huge lump in my throat from watching this sad movie.

Since you have no common sense, I’ll leave you to your megrim .

• Melancholic

All of his literary work has a melancholic tone to it.

Mitch felt miserable after Jane moved out with the kids.

She often gets moody and distant after watching the movies about the war, as her father died in it.

The things he’s saying are quite morbid and depressing.

I don’t think Dad would want us to be mournful.

He felt oppressed by the gloomy ambient in the house.

• Out of sorts

I’ve been out of sorts all day, not willing to get out of bed.

Mary seemed pensive and quiet, not interacting with anyone in the room.

• Pessimistic

The song has a beautiful melody, but the lyrics end on a pessimistic and gloomy note.

They looked piteous , like drowned mice.

He looked horrible in those pitiable clothes.

Left alone in the open, the dog let out a plaintive cry.

The wrinkles on our faces are a poignant reminder that time passes.

• Reduced to tears

This movie got me reduced to tears.

She looked rueful while telling us her marriage was a huge mistake.

Danny was saddened to see her fall apart after her brother’s death.

• Sick at heart

He was sick at heart to think he’d never see her again.

It’s sickening to see such cruelty exist in the world, and you can’t do much about it.

The whole group was in a somber mood after learning of her fate.

She managed to put a smile on her face, but everyone knew how sorrowful she was.

He was too spiritless to say yes to anything I suggested.

The entire room lapsed into a sullen silence after hearing the tragic news.

She was sunk after the whole affair with the cheating husband.

• Take something hard

Jamie really took it hard when Diane left.

Jake sounded tearful on the phone.

• Tear-jerker 

I don’t want to watch another tear-jerker movie. Let’s watch a comedy instead.

While it started happily, the ending of the song was tragic.

He wasn’t as triste as I expected him to be about it.

It’s obvious that Jessie was troubled about something.

I’m uneasy about the future without him in my life.

Everyone was unhappy with the budget cuts.

• Unfortunate

What happened to her was quite unfortunate .

She’s still upset about the news she received over the phone.

According to customs, the wailing mourners should gather around the coffin.

She played a wistful song about a long-lost love.

The ending of the movie made him all weepy .

• Weltschmerz

She was struck by a sense of weltschmerz as she discovered that adult life is not as fun as she thought it would be.

Don’t be so woebegone , I can solve the issue.

The dog let out a woeful cry as the owners left the house.

• Wretched 

Jane felt so wretched because she thought they’d never see each other again.

Check out our list of poetic words and give meaning to your verse.

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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135+ Sad Writing Prompts to Stir Deep Emotions in Readers

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Writing Prompts

The benefits of using sad writing prompts

Unlocking creative depths.

Enhancing writing skills

Exploring emotions and improving mental health

Sad writing prompts to unleash creative depths

Exploring health challenges and personal struggles.

Tackling social challenges and environmental crises

Delving into personal relationships and trust issues

Artistic expressions of emotions

Sad writing prompts to develop students’ writing skills

Addressing academic pressure and anxiety.

Understanding family dynamics and common issues

Confronting bullying and peer pressure

Navigating friendship and unexpected setbacks

Sad writing prompts to facilitate emotional expressions and personal growth

Facing anxiety and fear.

Examining loneliness and isolation

Reflecting on regrets and mistakes

Dealing with loss and heartbreak

Unraveling betrayal, conflict, and misunderstandings

Do sad writing prompts have to be with a sad or tragic ending?

Conclusion: Gateways to emotional depth, imagination, and transformation

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KathySteinemann.com: Free Resources for Writers and Poets

Word lists, cheat sheets, and sometimes irreverent reviews of writing rules. kathy steinemann is the author of the writer's lexicon series..

100+ Ways to Say “Sad”: A Word List for Writers

Emotion in Writing Captivates Readers

But not so much if Mary Sue is sad on every page.

So how can a writer maintain mood without losing readers? By showing emotion or replacing sad with other adjectives. This post provides the tools.

Beware the Redundancy Trap

What a sad and tragic life Mary Sue led.

Most thesauruses list sad as a synonym for tragic . Why burden readers with two words that mean the same thing?

What a tragic life Mary Sue led.

Sad should also be removed from the following phrases and others like them — except in dialogue, which should seem natural :

hard and sad times

sad and disappointed

sad and grave

sad and lonely

sad and sorry

sad and upset

sad and troubled

sad disappointment

sad disaster

sad funeral

sad obituary

sad, gloomy countenance

Did you notice that many of the previous phrases include and? Keep that in mind as you edit your work.

Show Your Characters’ Sadness

They might exhibit various behaviors, including:

lack of energy

empty stares

quiet actions

biting the lip

clouded thoughts

hanging the head

downcast gaze

monotone voice

voice that breaks

slouched posture

trembling chin

hunched shoulders

furrowed forehead

plodding movements

tears or open weeping

covering face with hands

sitting with head in hands

damp, red, or swollen eyes

clenched jaw and/or stomach

shuffling gait, with hands in pockets

If you need additional beats, consult a body language dictionary . (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Let’s Review a Few Examples

Dad had a long, fulfilling life, and he wouldn’t want us to be sad for him now that he’s gone.

There’s nothing wrong with this sentence, especially if it’s dialogue, but we could eliminate sad:

Dad had a long, fulfilling life, and he wouldn’t want us to mourn for him now that he’s gone.

Whenever an adjective appears with to be ( am, are, is, was, were, will be, etc.), the narrative suffers. In this case, I swapped to be sad with the more active to mourn .

Justine shut the front door. Her parents knew from her sad look that she had lost the election.

Knew filters the action through the senses of Justine’s parents. Let’s try a different approach:

Justine clicked the front door shut and murmured in monotone to her parents, “I lost the election.”

Note the indications of sadness. Justine clicks the front door shut — a quiet action. Her monotone voice adds to the scene, as does her dialogue.

With a sad expression, Jordan picked up the smashed cell phone.

Nothing in the preceding sentence shows the degree of Jordan’s emotion.

A smashed cell phone might evoke a mild response if it has been backed up recently or doesn’t contain any important data. However, let’s assume the phone holds irreplaceable photos of a loved one who has passed away; that would cause a strong reaction:

Chin trembling, Jordan picked up the smashed cell phone. He wept.

Is there any doubt now about the depth of Jordan’s sadness?

Maria’s sad eyes made Charlie feel compassionate.

Feel is a filter word . We can edit this sentence to create a short but effective alternative:

Maria’s anguished eyes filled Charlie with compassion.

Same number of words, stronger adjective, more active sentence.

Amy was sad , so Mommy dried her tears.

Why is Amy sad? If we show the situation that caused the tears, we don’t need sad:

The space under the Christmas tree was empty. Santa’s milk and cookies still lay on the mantel, uneaten. Amy cried, and Mommy dried her tears.

A few extra words convey pathos that could be the basis for several paragraphs or an entire chapter.

Roger was sad because the bank wouldn’t lend him any money.

This sentence is pure tell.

Roger hung up the phone and slouched into his chair. “What should I do now? The bank won’t approve my loan.”

In the edited version, the power of dialogue combined with Roger’s slouch show his sadness.

Replace Hackneyed Phrases

Here are a few:

sad as it might be: tragically

sad fate: tragic demise

sad sack: failure, dud

sad state of affairs: upsetting situation

sad to say: regrettably, unfortunately

If You’re Stuck, Investigate These Instant Sad Alternatives

Some are colloquial — appropriate for dialogue or conversational narrative. Heed subtleties of meaning.

A to C agonized, anguished, bereft, beside oneself with grief, bitter, bleak, blue, broken, brokenhearted, brooding, bummed out, cast down, cheerless, close to tears, crestfallen, crying one’s eyes out, crushed

D defeated, deflated, dejected, demoralized, depressed, desolate, despairing, despondent, devastated, disappointed, disconsolate, discouraged, disenchanted, disheartened, disillusioned, dismal, dismayed, dispirited, distraught, distressed, doleful, dolorous, down, down in the dumps, down in the mouth, downcast, downhearted

F to H feeling blue, forlorn, fretful, full of sorrow, funereal, gloomy, glum, gone to pieces, grave, grief-stricken, grieved, gutted, heartbroken, heartsick, heavyhearted, hurting, have a lump in the throat, have a bleeding heart, have a sinking heart, have an aching heart, have the blahs, have the blues

I to O in a funk, in doldrums, in grief, in low spirits, in pain, in the dumps, in the pits, in the toilet, inconsolable, kicking oneself, let down, losing heart, losing hope, low, low-spirited, lugubrious, melancholy, miserable, mopey, morbid, morose, mournful, on a downer, overcome with sorrow

P to W pensive, reduced to tears, sepulchral, sick at heart, singing the blues, somber, sorrowful, spiritless, subdued, taken down, tearful, tormented, torn-up, tortured, troubled, unglued, unhappy, unsettled, upset, wistful, withdrawn, wretched, woebegone, woeful, worried, wretched

Ready to Flex Your Writing Muscles?

Remove all instances of sad from the following.

Jessie’s heart thumped like a drum in her chest . She felt sad , devastated. Three years. Three years she had devoted to Steve. And for what? How could he have done this to her?

Suggested solution

Jessie’s chin trembled. Three years. Thirty-six months. One hundred fifty-six weeks. She had laughed at Steve’s inane jokes, picked up his stinky socks, and listened to him snore all night. And for what? How could he have left her for another woman?

Notes: Rather than tell how Jessie feels, we show her trembling chin, and we provide a specific reason for her emotion. We also show some of her three-year devotion. Breaking the years into months and then into weeks emphasizes the passage of time.

Travis was sad . Cardboard boxes full of memories lay on the bedroom carpet. Family photos. Benny’s christening gown. Benny’s baseball mitt. Travis’s sad eyes rested on the saddest memory of all: Benny’s baby book. Benny. Gone forever.

Travis slouched into the bedroom. Cardboard boxes brimming with memories blanketed the carpet: family photos, Benny’s christening gown, Benny’s baseball mitt. He rubbed his swollen eyes and stared, heartsick, at his son’s baby book. He sobbed. Benny. Gone forever.

Notes: Travis’s slouching shows his sadness. Brimming is a more appropriate choice than full of . Slight punctuation changes strengthen readability. Travis’s sad eyes are shown by their swollen condition, and his sob reinforces his sadness.

George could tell that Janet was sad , but he didn’t know how to comfort her. Women scared him, especially independent women who refused to let him buy them dinner. Sadness engulfed him. How could he ever let her know his true feelings?

George squirmed in his seat. Janet’s damp eyes filled him with unease. Women scared him, especially independent women who refused to let him pay for their dinner. “Is ev-everything o-okay?” He bit his lip. Can’t even talk straight. How can I ever let her know my true feelings?

Notes: George’s squirming emphasizes his unease, and his internal monologue shows the sadness that engulfs him. Janet’s damp eyes show her emotion.

It was sad when the old lady coughed. I think her name was Margaret. Or maybe Minnie? Minnie. Yeah. Every time I heard her hork her lungs out, I felt sad . She worked hard — harder than any of the guys — in this dungeon of a Thipakrisian mine. I often wondered as I tossed and turned in my bed at night if we’d ever get back to Earth. The sad fact is that if we didn’t, I’d end up just like her in a few years. That saddened me most of all.

Whenever the old lady coughed, my gut clenched. I think her name was Margaret. Or maybe Minnie? Minnie. Yeah. Every time she horked her lungs out, I wanted to cry. She worked hard — harder than any of the guys — in this dungeon of a Thipakrisian mine. I often wondered as I lay awake at night, staring at nothing, if we’d ever get back to Earth. Then, the scratching in my throat would remind me that if we didn’t escape, I’d end up just like her in a few years. Frandelstax!

Notes: The narrator’s clenched gut shows his sadness. Ditto for his desire to cry, emphasized further by his lying awake at night, staring at nothing. Frandelstax — nothing like an invented sci-fi expletive to augment the ambience.

What makes you sad? Rejection slips? A broken coffeemaker? Looming deadlines?

Leverage that sadness in your writing.

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4 thoughts on “ 100+ Ways to Say “Sad”: A Word List for Writers ”

I liked this page because it had words I needed and has a lot of work put into it.

Thanks, Rayne.

Good luck with your writing!

What makes me sad? Unfriendly and hateful people. Lies and scams. Cruelty. Broken relationships. Social distancing. Panic-buying.

Yes, Robert, all excellent examples. The last few weeks have brought out the worst in some people.

Social distancing makes most people sad, but we’re not stuck at home — we’re safe at home.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay healthy!

101 Sorrowful Writing Prompts That Are Sadder Than Sad

The most powerful way to engage your reader is to invoke strong emotion .

Readers who quickly empathize are more likely to keep reading a story that invites them to do just that. 

We’ve rounded up 101 heartbreaking, sad writing prompts to make your job easier. 

And since sad prompts aren’t always enough, we’ve thrown in some story ideas to show how you can spin a few words into a story your reader can’t put down. 

#1 — She never slept in this late… 

#2 — “what would you say if i asked you… “, #3 — the folks at work call me a “cat lady.”, #4 — she took her time choosing the perfect stone for this one. , #5 — he had that luxury., 101 sad writing prompts to inspire your next heart-wrenching story , what are some sad story ideas .

Check out these five sad book ideas, each based on a prompt but taking it a step further.

As you move on to the prompts list, pay attention to those that start developing in your mind into story ideas. Then set a timer for a writing sprint and see what happens. 

But as he rolled out of bed that morning, he seized upon the idea of surprising her with breakfast in bed. It took longer than he expected, and for a moment, he feared she would wake before he brought it to her. 

He needn’t have worried. 

The eggs and toast were cold now on the breakfast tray. He hadn’t noticed the folded letter on the bedside table, which the officer held in her hand as she read it. Then, she looked up at him, her mouth closed and her eyes unreadable behind the reflective lenses. 

“Can I read it, now?” he asked. 

“Asked me to what?” He visibly stiffened in his chair. She took a deep breath. 

“I want you to empty one of the two rooms you’ve filled with your things — and I mean completely empty it, closet and all — by the beginning of summer… Or I’m out.” 

He turned away, but she saw him swallow, heard him clear his throat, and take a deep, noisy breath through his nose. 

Without looking at her, he nodded briefly and said, “I’ll see what I can do.” 

I have two of them. And while my mother had earned a reputation for trapping strays in her house and taking them to the vet to be spayed or neutered, I was nowhere near that ambitious. 

Mischa and Cal just got me. Both were spayed. Both patrolled the apartment with the confidence of creatures whose mere will sustained the universe. 

Right now, they mutually shunned my guest, yowling every time the smell assaulted their nostrils. 

“Patience, kitties. Wait ‘til the embalming fluid does its work. It’s a special recipe. You’ll warm up to him no time.” 

They’d switched to cremation after she lost the first baby. Six more followed, and this one — the one she’d named Hope — had almost survived the ordeal of childbirth. It had started normally, but her doctor had urged an emergency C-section. She hadn’t argued. 

No time for anesthesia. No time to say goodbye to her husband, who told her he would be in there as soon as he could. 

Hope was silent. They tried reviving her, and she… lying on the table with her abdomen cut open, waited, afraid to breathe. 

The door opened then to let her husband in.

The luxury of agreeing to work whatever hours he chose. Not being the family chauffeur gave him a freedom he’d gotten used to. He couldn’t see why none of her interviews resulted in a job offer. 

He was about to learn. 

“Jax and Lily finish school at 2:00. Ben’s done at 3. Then Lily starts her shift at 4 and is done by 7. Jax doesn’t work today, but they do tomorrow. And no, neither of them can cancel last minute.”

“Why not? How am I supposed to get anything done if I’m constantly heading out the door to get them from something?” he asked. 

“Oh… Sorry, does your boss not know you have kids?”

Read through these sad story prompts until you find one you’d like to use, either for a new story contest or for your own creative journaling .

Develop at least one of them into an idea today. Which of these will get you started on your next writing sprint?

1. The lone survivor of an advanced race tells the story of their family’s mission to Earth and what it cost them. 

2. The main character receives a devastating diagnosis and decides to track down and try to reconnect with their estranged daughter and son. 

3. She asked him a question she wished she’d asked him years ago. He reacted much as she’d expected. 

4. One look at his face, and she knew he’d been through a lifetime’s worth of pain but hadn’t been beaten by it.

5. Whose idea was it to add “‘Till death do us part” to the wedding vows? And did only one kind of death matter to them?

6. “How did I not see it in my own daughter? She was dying right in front of me!” 

7. He teased her for not being a “detail person.” But she noticed well enough how he looked at her best friend. 

8. “A hero would sacrifice you to save the world. I’m not a hero.” 

9. They were playing hide-and-seek. She never found him. Until now. 

10. “You’ve had 15 years to notice… It just didn’t bother you enough to do something about it.” 

11. “I was hoping you’d prove me wrong. Being right is the last thing I want to be right now.” 

12. “She gave me one last look before walking out into the storm. No one has seen her since.” 

13. He had no idea how much she already knew. He walked in the door, ready to tell her everything. 

14. “You were angry with me … because I made you look bad to your family. What am I, then?” 

15. I was old enough to remember the day I became an orphan. 

16. “You honestly think this is the first time he’s done this? Where have you been?”

17. “It gets worse at night. We can’t allow anyone into that room with her.“

18. She wanted to marry her best friend. He wanted an idea she couldn’t live up to. 

19. She emptied the hope chest, filled it with potting soil, and, planting it full of cacti, left it behind his car before she drove off.

20. Being depressed is hard enough. Trying to hide it is what led to this moment.

21. “You have no idea how messed up it is that you’re fine with the way things are.”

22. Most of my nightmares are about things that happen when the sun is shining.

23. “I know I need to grieve what I thought I would have with him. But right now, I’m just relieved.” 

24. She gave him her house key and the garage door button with a small smile and nod before walking to her car.

25. “I was a different woman when I married him. And I’ve never been enough. But good Catholic husbands don’t give up, right?” 

26. “I was waiting in the car when the rain started. He stepped out onto the covered porch, looked at me, and shook his head.”

27. “What kind of retreat was this anyway?” she thought. But then she saw it: the perfect stone, worn smooth and darker than its neighbors.

28. She spent the week in bed, unable to do more than sleep between small sips of water. He wasn’t there when she recovered.

29. It was the best part of their usual cycle, but even then, she saw the beginnings of the next stage. Nothing had changed.

30. “It’s not that I’m not motivated to put in the effort to become a saint. It’s that I’d rather be anything else.”

31. His voice brought back memories she wasn’t ready for. 

32. “Don’t wait until you’re ready. No one’s really ready until they have nothing left to lose — and not enough time to enjoy winning.”

33. “One day, when he grows up and tells the church to piss off, he’ll find someone else, and they’ll be happy together. I hope.” 

34. Maybe I’m ready for a job that requires me to shower on a daily basis. Maybe I need that now. 

35. This was the song that was playing when we met. It hits differently, now. 

36. He wasn’t a stranger for long. Something he said within those first few minutes flipped a switch. And just like that, he was my home.

37. “You seriously overestimate my need for certainty.” 

38. All anyone can guess is that she took the wrong prescription by mistake. It was right next to hers. No one knew about the allergy. 

39. One day at a time, she sorted through her things, boxed them up, hauled donations out the door. This time was different. She was ready. 

40. That cat was the only creature who brought a smile to her face. No one’s seen her leave the house since. 

41. He sent her a bouquet of pink Gerbera daisies with a note. She bit her lip as she read it, sighing deeply before looking up.

42. She was the only one putting up signs when the child went missing. No one knew why until the police arrived at her door.

43. The flowers he bought meant something. The ones she bought for herself meant something else. 

44. She never needed the alcohol to numb herself. It just made it easier to stay.

45. Retirement was finally just a week away. The cardiac wing of the hospital wasn’t the vacation spot he had in mind.

46. She listed every item in the donation box, making sure to add a value estimate to every gift she’d kept. 

47. He left a note on the kitchen countertop: “I ate the cake you made for book club. It was dry.” Terrible last words.

48. “You have no idea how little those words mean right now.”

49. He’d forgotten how nice it was when people showed up when they said they would. 

50. The last teddy bear sat on top of the pile, his head bowed. 

51. The best thing about the property was the trees. One by one, they started dying. 

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52. She brewed his favorite tea every morning and started her day with it. 

53. Find a box that will work for my Dell tower, monitor (in a pillowcase w/ padding), keyboard, speakers, and cords. 

54. What could have been doesn’t matter anymore. I’m more interested in what’s next.

55. He interpreted my being demisexual to mean I wasn’t attracted to him. He was right about that — but wrong to think he could fix it.

56. We never needed a perfect dad — just one that kept trying. 

57. The “functional” bit in functional alcoholic is the word we use to trick ourselves into thinking we’re still in control — or that we ever were. 

58. He had what he said he’d always wanted. It wasn’t enough. 

59. They told her to choose between her own life and that of her unborn child. He chose for her. 

60. After years of waiting for him to see what this was costing her, she finally told him. 

61. Her leash and collar still hang on the hook by the front door.

62. He meant well. But he shouldn’t have used their daughter’s dead guinea pig as his first taxidermy project. 

63. The child had a habit of eating houseplants, and his mother, the “salad queen,” was distracted. 

64. She named her house “the Owlery” and started collecting them on her front porch, one cage at a time.

65. She folded the clothes and gently laid them in the donation box. These were for the woman she used to be. 

66. Ankle-length skirts, demure necklines, muted colors… they no longer had a place in her wardrobe. She smiled and closed the box. 

67. She paused just outside the door, hearing the dance music playing inside. She caught her reflection, and her shoulders sank.

68. She wasn’t used to being missed. So, she hadn’t called to let her parents know when she’d need a ride. 

69. For years he would ask for it, teasing her one day and then resorting to guilt. 

70. She’d burned a CD with his favorite songs, including some he’d introduced to her. She gently laid it near his cold hands. 

71. Every time she heard a dog bark, she’d freeze, waiting to hear it again. 

72. “Why are you grieving? Isn’t this what you want,” she asked. It is, now, I thought. But it wasn’t always.

73. If she were a house, her doors would be locked. But there might still be a way in for someone determined to find it. 

74. Her interview was tomorrow. The clothes would arrive next week. 

75. If there was ever a time for expedited shipping, this was it. She clicked on the box, wincing at the price. He would know.

76. I hadn’t known I was pregnant when I went out that night. 

77. She would have chosen her child. I would have chosen her. The virus chose for both of us. 

78. “Yes, beauty is fleeting,” she said. “But it’s right in front of us, now. Why not enjoy it?”

79. The flowers she’d bought the day before lay wilting on the sidewalk. 

80. “You don’t know how hard I looked for it,” he said. “It wasn’t there.” 

81. The rain and wind suddenly fell silent, and her eyes turned toward the deck window, her face paler than I’ve ever seen it.

82. She rubbed the lotion into her hands absent-mindedly, her fingernails shorter than they were before the movie started.

83. She held her doll to her face while her mother scooped her up and headed out the door. 

84. The dog stood patiently by the door as he always did, waiting for his return. 

85. Our cats all end up in the same place eventually. It’s a busy road. 

86. She’d made her famous noodle casserole for every family that came to hire her husband. This one was different.

87. The phone rang five times before the seven-year-old picked it up. “No one’s here,” he said. 

88. “The only apples that grow on those trees are half-eaten by worms by the time they ripen. You want applesauce? Buy some.”

89. I’d seen him chase her down the road, carrying something and yelling at her. The cops found them both an hour later.

90. They thought he would come when they sent word of his mother’s illness. Only after she passed did they learn the truth.

91. He had the best balance of all of us — and the least fear. 

92. No one could see that he was actually suffocating until he passed out. 

93. The box was empty. All of them were. She looked up with tears in her eyes.

94. Seconds before he pulled the trigger, I realized I was the villain in this story. 

95. Now that I’m leaving, he won’t have to worry about renting storage space for all the things he wants to keep. 

96. I could see that the front door was ajar when I pulled in. I left the engine running. 

97. The curtain fell, and behind it, so did she. 

98. She wasn’t trying to be the perfect mother. She was just trying to get through the day. 

99. She trimmed the crusts off his sandwiches and brought them to his bed. 

100. He has no idea most people aren’t born that way. No one’s told him. 

101. Someone had left the starving animal chained to a fence post in the middle of nowhere. 

Now that you’ve looked through all the sad story prompts and story ideas in this post, we hope you found at least one you’re itching to write about today. Jot it down, along with any ideas that come — snippets of dialogue, setting details, etc. 

Then pick a time and let those words flow. 

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5 moving, beautiful essays about death and dying

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It is never easy to contemplate the end-of-life, whether its own our experience or that of a loved one.

This has made a recent swath of beautiful essays a surprise. In different publications over the past few weeks,  I've stumbled upon writers who were  contemplating final days. These are, no doubt, hard stories to read. I had to take breaks as I read about Paul Kalanithi's experience facing metastatic lung cancer while parenting a toddler, and was devastated as I followed Liz Lopatto's contemplations on how to give her ailing cat the best death possible. But I also learned so much from reading these essays, too, about what it means to have a good death versus a difficult end from those forced to grapple with the issue. These are four stories that have stood out to me recently, alongside one essay from a few years ago that sticks with me today.

My Own Life | Oliver Sacks

As recently as last month, popular author and neurologist Oliver Sacks was in great health, even swimming a mile every day. Then, everything changed: the 81-year-old was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. In a beautiful op-ed , published in late February in the New York Times, he describes his state of mind and how he'll face his final moments. What I liked about this essay is how Sacks describes how his world view shifts as he sees his time on earth getting shorter, and how he thinks about the value of his time.

Before I go | Paul Kalanithi

Kalanthi began noticing symptoms — "weight loss, fevers, night sweats, unremitting back pain, cough" — during his sixth year of residency as a neurologist at Stanford. A CT scan revealed metastatic lung cancer. Kalanthi writes about his daughter, Cady and how he "probably won't live long enough for her to have a memory of me." Much of his essay focuses on an interesting discussion of time, how it's become a double-edged sword. Each day, he sees his daughter grow older, a joy. But every day is also one that brings him closer to his likely death from cancer.

As I lay dying | Laurie Becklund

Becklund's essay was published posthumonously after her death on February 8 of this year. One of the unique issues she grapples with is how to discuss her terminal diagnosis with others and the challenge of not becoming defined by a disease. "Who would ever sign another book contract with a dying woman?" she writes. "Or remember Laurie Becklund, valedictorian, Fulbright scholar, former Times staff writer who exposed the Salvadoran death squads and helped The Times win a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 1992 L.A. riots? More important, and more honest, who would ever again look at me just as Laurie?"

Everything I know about a good death I learned from my cat | Liz Lopatto

Dorothy Parker was Lopatto's cat, a stray adopted from a local vet. And Dorothy Parker, known mostly as Dottie, died peacefully when she passed away earlier this month. Lopatto's essay is, in part, about what she learned about end-of-life care for humans from her cat. But perhaps more than that, it's also about the limitations of how much her experience caring for a pet can transfer to caring for another person.

Yes, Lopatto's essay is about a cat rather than a human being. No, it does not make it any easier to read. She describes in searing detail about the experience of caring for another being at the end of life. "Dottie used to weigh almost 20 pounds; she now weighs six," Lopatto writes. "My vet is right about Dottie being close to death, that it’s probably a matter of weeks rather than months."

Letting Go | Atul Gawande

"Letting Go" is a beautiful, difficult true story of death. You know from the very first sentence — "Sara Thomas Monopoli was pregnant with her first child when her doctors learned that she was going to die" — that it is going to be tragic. This story has long been one of my favorite pieces of health care journalism because it grapples so starkly with the difficult realities of end-of-life care.

In the story, Monopoli is diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, a surprise for a non-smoking young woman. It's a devastating death sentence: doctors know that lung cancer that advanced is terminal. Gawande knew this too — Monpoli was his patient. But actually discussing this fact with a young patient with a newborn baby seemed impossible.

"Having any sort of discussion where you begin to say, 'look you probably only have a few months to live. How do we make the best of that time without giving up on the options that you have?' That was a conversation I wasn't ready to have," Gawande recounts of the case in a new Frontline documentary .

What's tragic about Monopoli's case was, of course, her death at an early age, in her 30s. But the tragedy that Gawande hones in on — the type of tragedy we talk about much less — is how terribly Monopoli's last days played out.

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Describing Sadness in Creative Writing: 33 Ways to Capture the Blues

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on August 25, 2023

Categories Creative Writing , Writing

Describing sadness in creative writing can be a challenging task for any writer.

Sadness is an emotion that can be felt in different ways, and it’s important to be able to convey it in a way that is authentic and relatable to readers. Whether you’re writing a novel, short story, or even a poem, the ability to describe sadness can make or break a story.

Understanding sadness in writing is essential to creating a believable character or scene. Sadness is a complex emotion that can be caused by a variety of factors, such as loss, disappointment, or loneliness. It’s important to consider the context in which the sadness is occurring, as this can influence the way it is expressed.

By exploring the emotional spectrum of characters and the physical manifestations of sadness, writers can create a more authentic portrayal of the emotion.

In this article, we will explore the different ways to describe sadness in creative writing. We will discuss the emotional spectrum of characters, the physical manifestations of sadness, and the language and dialogue used to express it. We’ll also look at expert views on emotion and provide unique examples of describing sadness.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of how to authentically convey sadness in your writing.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding the emotional spectrum of characters is essential to creating a believable portrayal of sadness.
• Physical manifestations of sadness can be used to convey the emotion in a more authentic way.
• Authenticity in describing sadness can be achieved through language and dialogue, as well as expert views on emotion.

33 Ways to Express Sadness in Creative Writing

Let’s start with some concrete examples of sadness metaphors and similes:

Here are 33 ways to express sadness in creative writing:

• A heavy sigh escaped her lips as a tear rolled down her cheek.
• His eyes glistened with unleashed tears that he quickly blinked away.
• Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold, metal fist.
• A profound emptiness opened up inside him, threatening to swallow him whole.
• An avalanche of sorrow crashed over her without warning.
• His spirit sank like a stone in water.
• A dark cloud of grief descended on her.
• Waves of sadness washed over him, pulling him under.
• She felt like she was drowning in an ocean of melancholy.
• His eyes darkened with sadness like a gathering storm.
• Grief enveloped her like a wet blanket, heavy and smothering.
• The light in his eyes dimmed to a flicker behind tears.
• Sadness seeped through her veins like icy slush.
• The corners of his mouth drooped like a wilting flower.
• Her breath came in short, ragged gasps between sobs.
• A profound melancholy oozed from his pores.
• The weight of despair crushed her like a vice.
• A haunted, hollow look glazed over his eyes.
• An invisible hand squeezed her heart, wringing out all joy.
• His soul curdled like spoiled milk.
• A silent scream lodged in her throat.
• He was consumed by a fathomless gloom.
• Sorrow pulsed through her veins with every beat of her heart.
• Grief blanketed him like new-fallen snow, numbing and icy.
• Tears stung her eyes like shards of glass.
• A cold, dark abyss of sadness swallowed him.
• Melancholy seeped from her like rain from a leaky roof.
• His spirit shriveled and sank like a deflating balloon.
• A sick, hollow ache blossomed inside her.
• Rivulets of anguish trickled down his cheeks.
• Sadness smothered her like a poisonous fog.
• Gloom settled on his shoulders like a black shroud.
• Her sorrow poured out in a river of tears.

Understanding Sadness in Writing

Describing sadness in writing can be a challenging task.

Sadness is a complex emotion that can manifest in different ways. It can be expressed through tears, sighs, silence, or even a simple change in posture. As a writer, you need to be able to convey sadness effectively to your readers, while also avoiding cliches and melodrama.

One way to approach describing sadness is to focus on the physical sensations and reactions that accompany it. For example, you might describe the feeling of a lump in your throat, or the tightness in your chest. You could also describe the way your eyes become watery, or the way your hands tremble.

These physical descriptions can help your readers to empathize with your characters and feel the same emotions.

Another important aspect of describing sadness is the tone of your writing. You want to strike a balance between conveying the depth of the emotion and avoiding excessive sentimentality.

One way to achieve this is to use simple, direct language that conveys the emotion without resorting to flowery language or overwrought metaphors.

When describing sadness, it’s also important to consider the context in which it occurs. Sadness can be a response to many different situations, such as loss, disappointment, or rejection. It can also be accompanied by other emotions, such as anger, confusion, or melancholy.

By considering the context and accompanying emotions, you can create a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of sadness in your writing.

Finally, it can be helpful to draw on examples of how other writers have successfully described sadness. By studying the techniques and descriptions used by other writers, you can gain a better understanding of how to effectively convey sadness in your own writing.

In conclusion, describing sadness in writing requires a careful balance of physical descriptions, tone, context, and examples. By focusing on these elements, you can create a more nuanced and effective portrayal of this complex emotion.

Emotional Spectrum in Characters

In creative writing, it’s important to create characters that are multi-dimensional and have a wide range of emotions. When it comes to describing sadness, it’s essential to understand the emotional spectrum of characters and how they respond to different situations.

Characters can experience a variety of emotions, including love, happiness, surprise, anger, fear, nervousness, and more.

Each character has a unique personality that influences their emotional responses. For example, a protagonist might respond to sadness with a broken heart, dismay, or feeling desolate.

On the other hand, a character might respond with anger, contempt, or apathy.

When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the emotional response of the character. For example, a haunted character might respond to sadness with exhaustion or a sense of being drained. A crestfallen character might respond with a sense of defeat or disappointment.

It’s also important to consider how sadness affects the character’s personality. Some characters might become withdrawn or depressed, while others might become more emotional or volatile. When describing sadness, it’s important to show how it affects the character’s behavior and interactions with others.

Overall, the emotional spectrum of characters is an important aspect of creative writing. By understanding how characters respond to different emotions, you can create more realistic and relatable characters. When describing sadness, it’s important to consider the character’s emotional response, personality, and behavior.

Physical Manifestations of Sadness

When you’re feeling sad, it’s not just an emotion that you experience mentally. It can also manifest physically. Here are some physical manifestations of sadness that you can use in your creative writing to make your characters more believable.

Tears are one of the most common physical manifestations of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your eyes may start to water, and tears may fall down your cheeks. Tears can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Crying is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cry. Crying can be used to show that a character is feeling deeply hurt or upset.

Numbness is a physical sensation that can accompany sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel emotionally numb. This can be used to show that a character is feeling disconnected from their emotions.

Facial Expressions

Facial expressions can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, your face may droop, and your eyes may look downcast. This can be used to show that a character is feeling down or depressed.

Gestures can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may slump your shoulders or hang your head. This can be used to show that a character is feeling defeated or hopeless.

Body Language

Body language can also be used to show sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may cross your arms or hunch over. This can be used to show that a character is feeling closed off or defensive.

Cold and Heat

Sadness can also affect your body temperature. When you’re feeling sad, you may feel cold or hot. This can be used to show that a character is feeling uncomfortable or out of place.

Sobbing is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sob uncontrollably. This can be used to show that a character is feeling overwhelmed with emotion.

Sweating is another physical manifestation of sadness. When you’re feeling sad, you may sweat profusely. This can be used to show that a character is feeling anxious or nervous.

By using these physical manifestations of sadness in your writing, you can make your characters more realistic and relatable. Remember to use them sparingly and only when they are relevant to the story.

Authenticity in Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, authenticity is key. Readers can tell when an author is not being genuine, and it can make the story feel less impactful. In order to authentically describe sadness, it’s important to tap into your own emotions and experiences.

Think about a time when you felt truly sad. What did it feel like? What physical sensations did you experience? How did your thoughts and emotions change? By tapping into your own experiences, you can better convey the emotions of your characters.

It’s also important to remember that sadness can manifest in different ways for different people. Some people may cry, while others may become withdrawn or angry. By understanding the unique ways that sadness can present itself, you can create more authentic and realistic characters.

If you’re struggling to authentically describe sadness, consider talking to a loved one or best friend about their experiences. Hearing firsthand accounts can help you better understand the nuances of the emotion.

Ultimately, the key to authentically describing sadness is to approach it with empathy and understanding. By putting yourself in the shoes of your characters and readers, you can create a powerful and impactful story that resonates with your audience.

Language and Dialogue in Expressing Sadness

When writing about sadness, the language you use can make a big difference in how your readers will perceive the emotions of your characters.

Consider using metaphors and similes to create vivid images that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the sadness as a heavy weight on the character’s chest or a dark cloud hanging over their head.

In addition to using metaphors, you can also use adjectives to describe the character’s emotions. Be careful not to overuse adjectives, as this can detract from the impact of your writing. Instead, choose a few powerful adjectives that will help your readers understand the depth of the character’s sadness.

For example, you might describe the sadness as overwhelming, suffocating, or unbearable.

When it comes to dialogue, it’s important to remember that people don’t always express their emotions directly. In fact, sometimes what isn’t said is just as important as what is said.

Consider using subtext to convey the character’s sadness indirectly. For example, a character might say “I’m fine,” when in reality they are struggling with intense sadness.

Another way to use dialogue to convey sadness is through the use of behaviors. For example, a character might withdraw from social situations, stop eating or sleeping properly, or engage in self-destructive behaviors as a result of their sadness.

By showing these behaviors, you can help your readers understand the depth of the character’s emotions.

Finally, when describing sadness, it’s important to consider the overall mood of the scene. Use sensory details to create a somber atmosphere that will help your readers connect with the emotions of your characters.

For example, you might describe the rain falling heavily outside, the silence of an empty room, or the dim lighting of a funeral home.

Overall, when writing about sadness, it’s important to choose your words carefully and use a variety of techniques to convey the depth of your character’s emotions.

By using metaphors, adjectives, dialogue, behaviors, and sensory details, you can create a powerful and emotionally resonant story that will stay with your readers long after they’ve finished reading.

Expert Views on Emotion

When it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to have a deep understanding of how they work and how they can be conveyed effectively through writing. Here are some expert views on emotion that can help you write about sadness in a more effective and engaging way.

Dr. Paul Ekman

Dr. Paul Ekman is a renowned psychologist who has spent decades studying emotions and their expressions. According to Dr. Ekman, there are six basic emotions that are universally recognized across cultures: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, and disgust.

When it comes to writing about sadness, Dr. Ekman suggests focusing on the physical sensations that accompany the emotion.

For example, you might describe the heaviness in your chest, the lump in your throat, or the tears that well up in your eyes. By focusing on these physical sensations, you can help your readers connect with the emotion on a deeper level.

While sadness is often seen as a “negative” emotion, it’s important to remember that all emotions have their place in creative writing. Disgust, for example, can be a powerful tool for conveying a character’s revulsion or aversion to something.

When writing about disgust, it’s important to be specific about what is causing the emotion. For example, you might describe the smell of rotting garbage, the sight of maggots wriggling in a pile of food, or the texture of slimy, raw meat.

By being specific, you can help your readers feel the full force of the emotion and understand why your character is feeling it.

Overall, when it comes to writing about emotions, it’s important to be both specific and authentic. By drawing on your own experiences and using concrete details to describe the physical sensations and causes of emotions, you can create a more engaging and emotionally resonant piece of writing.

Unique Examples of Describing Sadness

When it comes to describing sadness in creative writing, there are many unique ways to convey this emotion to your readers. Here are some examples that can help you create a powerful and moving scene:

• The crying scene : One of the most common ways to show sadness is through tears. However, instead of just saying “she cried,” try to describe the crying scene in detail. For instance, you could describe how her tears fell like raindrops on the floor, or how her sobs shook her body like a violent storm. This will help your readers visualize the scene and feel the character’s pain.
• The socks : Another way to show sadness is through symbolism. For example, you could describe how the character is wearing mismatched socks, which represents how her life is falling apart and nothing seems to fit together anymore. This can be a subtle yet effective way to convey sadness without being too obvious.
• John : If your character is named John, you can use his name to create a sense of melancholy. For example, you could describe how the raindrops fell on John’s shoulders, weighing him down like the burdens of his life. This can be a creative way to convey sadness while also adding depth to your character.

Remember, when describing sadness in creative writing, it’s important to be specific and use vivid language. This will help your readers connect with your character on a deeper level and feel their pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some effective ways to describe a person’s sadness without using the word ‘sad’.

When describing sadness, it’s important to avoid using the word “sad” as it can come across as cliché and lackluster. Instead, try using more descriptive words that evoke a sense of sadness in the reader. For example, you could use words like “heartbroken,” “bereft,” “devastated,” “despondent,” or “forlorn.” These words help to create a more vivid and emotional description of sadness that readers can connect with.

How can you describe the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face?

When describing the physical manifestations of sadness on a person’s face, it’s important to pay attention to the small details. For example, you could describe the way their eyes become red and swollen from crying, or how their mouth trembles as they try to hold back tears. You could also describe the way their shoulders slump or how they withdraw into themselves. By focusing on these small but telling details, you can create a more realistic and relatable portrayal of sadness.

What are some examples of using metaphor and simile to convey sadness in creative writing?

Metaphors and similes can be powerful tools for conveying sadness in creative writing. For example, you could compare a person’s sadness to a heavy weight that they’re carrying on their shoulders, or to a storm cloud that follows them wherever they go. You could also use metaphors and similes to describe the way sadness feels, such as a “gnawing ache” in the pit of their stomach or a “cold, empty void” inside their chest.

How can you effectively convey the emotional weight of sadness through dialogue?

When writing dialogue for a character who is experiencing sadness, it’s important to focus on the emotions and feelings that they’re experiencing. Use short, simple sentences to convey the character’s sadness, and avoid using overly complex language or metaphors. You could also use pauses and silences to create a sense of emotional weight and tension in the scene.

What are some techniques for describing a character’s inner sadness in a way that is relatable to the reader?

One effective technique for describing a character’s inner sadness is to focus on their thoughts and feelings. Use introspection to delve into the character’s emotions and describe how they’re feeling in a way that is relatable to the reader. You could also use flashbacks or memories to show why the character is feeling sad, and how it’s affecting their current actions and decisions.

How can you use sensory language to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story?

Sensory language is an effective way to create a vivid portrayal of sadness in a poem or story. Use descriptive words that evoke the senses, such as the smell of rain on a sad day or the sound of a distant train whistle. You could also use sensory language to describe the physical sensations of sadness, such as the weight of a heavy heart or the taste of tears on the tongue. By using sensory language, you can create a more immersive and emotional reading experience for your audience.

BRYN DONOVAN

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Master List of Facial Expressions

This list of facial expressions for writers is one of my all-time most popular posts. It came about because I started to list facial expressions in a spiral notebook for my own reference, and then I figured I’d share. A lot of writers keep this page bookmarked! 

Writers need good facial expression descriptions in their writing to help the readers picture the characters and to convey emotions. However, it’s easy for us to rely on the same descriptions over and over again. And sometimes in the middle of writing, when we’re trying to find the words to describe an angry expression or a sad expression, we draw a blank.

The expressions are broken down by the part of the face. Note that some of them work for more than one emotion—a person might narrow their eyes out of vindictiveness or skepticism, for instance, and their face might turn red out of anger or out of embarrassment. Some of them require a little more explanation on your part. You’ll have to say what she’s glaring at, or if his face is contorting in rage, or grief, or what. And not all of these will work for every character. In many cases I’ve given several ways to describe the same thing. While I have included some longer phrases, they are not proprietary and it’s fine to use them.

Some of these aren’t exactly  words to describe facial expressions, but they’re useful for dialogue tags. In fact, I started this list in a notebook for myself as a reference so I would stop using “he said” and “she said” so often…and as any editor or writing coach will tell you, just using tons of synonyms for “said” does not solve this problem; it makes it worse! By using a facial expression as a dialogue tag, you can also convey the tone of voice.

Here’s the facial expressions list. You might want to pin it for future reference!

Ways to Describe Expressions Related to the Eyes and Eyebrows

his eyes widened

their eyes went round

her eyelids drooped

his eyes narrowed

his eyes lit up

his eyes darted

he squinted

she blinked

her eyes twinkled

his eyes gleamed

her eyes sparkled

his eyes flashed

her eyes glinted

his eyes burned with…

her eyes blazed with…

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her eyes sparked with…

her eyes flickered with…

_____ glowed in his eyes

the corners of his eyes crinkled

she rolled her eyes

he looked heavenward

she glanced up to the ceiling

tears filled her eyes

his eyes welled up

her eyes swam with tears

his eyes flooded with tears

her eyes were wet

their eyes glistened

tears shimmered in her eyes

tears shone in his eyes

her eyes were glossy

he was fighting back tears

tears ran down her cheeks

his eyes closed

she squeezed her eyes shut

he shut his eyes

his lashes fluttered

she batted her lashes

her forehead creased

his forehead furrowed

her forehead puckered

a line appeared between their brows

his brows drew together

her brows snapped together

his eyebrows rose

she raised a brow

he lifted an eyebrow

his eyebrows waggled

she gave him a once-over

he sized her up

her eyes bored into him

she took in the sight of…

she glanced

she scrutinized

he observed

she surveyed

his pupils (were) dilated

her pupils were huge

his pupils flared

Ways to Describe Expressions Related to the Nose

her nose crinkled

his nose wrinkled

she sneered

his nostrils flared

she stuck her nose in the air

she sniffled

Ways to Describe Expressions Related to the Mouth

she grinned

he simpered

her mouth curved into a smile

the corners of his mouth turned up

the corner of her mouth quirked up

a corner of his mouth lifted

his mouth twitched

he gave a half-smile

she gave a lopsided grin

he plastered a smile on his face

she forced a smile

he faked a smile

their smile faded

his smile slipped

he pursed his lips

his mouth snapped shut

her mouth set in a hard line

he pressed his lips together

she bit her lip

he drew his lower lip between his teeth

she nibbled on her bottom lip

he chewed on his bottom lip

his jaw set

her jaw clenched

his jaw tightened

a muscle in her jaw twitched

he ground his jaw

he snarled/his lips drew back in a snarl

her mouth fell open

his jaw dropped

her jaw went slack

he gritted his teeth

she gnashed her teeth

her lower lip trembled

his lower lip quivered

Ways to Describe Reactions Related to the Skin

he blanched

she went white

the color drained out of his face

his face reddened

her cheeks turned pink

his face flushed

she blushed

he turned red

she turned scarlet

he turned crimson

a flush crept up her face

Ways to Describe Expressions Having to Do With the Whole Face

he screwed up his face

she scrunched up her face

they grimaced

she gave him a dirty look

she scowled

he glowered

her whole face lit up

she brightened

his face went blank

her face contorted

his face twisted

her expression closed up

his expression dulled

her expression hardened

she went poker-faced

a vein popped out in his neck

awe transformed his face

fear crossed her face

sadness clouded his features

terror overtook his face

recognition dawned on her face 

It may seem a little obsessive to list facial expressions, but there’s almost nothing I like better than making lists! I have many more lists like this in my book Master Lists for Writers: Thesauruses, Plots, Character Traits, Names, and More. I think it’s a great tool for making “show don’t tell” easier and for inspiration during every part of the writing process. Check it out!

Thank you so much for reading, and happy writing! 

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Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest . Do you ever need to break your own heart? We see you. Grab a tub of ice cream or a box of tissues and settle down with some of the best, really sad short stories to make you cry.

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“ five turns of the hourglass ” by weronika l.

🏆 Winner of Contest #238

I tow my dead father with me to the scorched heart of a desert. His body guilts down my shoulders, heavier each time he doesn't tell me that I took the wrong turn, that I need to straighten my elbows, that I never do anything the right way so why does he even bother. My jeep sputters and chokes under our weight as it brings us to the parking lot in front of the hotel. Vipassana, reads the sign above the glass door, melted open at the hinges. The Silent Retreat. Heat slaps me across the face. I backpack my father around my waist and march to ...

“ Just Like Him ” by Audrey McKenna

🏆 Winner of Contest #222

Content warning: sexual violence, languageWhen I was four years old, my sister and I were messing around at the pool. I slipped and hit my head on the concrete. It split open in the back. I remember the lifeguard gave me a squishy ball to squeeze. I remember she said I could keep it. I remember my dad scooped me up in his arms. It doesn’t make sense that it happened this way, but I remember he carried me all the way to the emergency room. I remember the pressure of my face pressing into a pillow as the doctor staple...

“ Multiple Choice ” by Zack Powell

🏆 Winner of Contest #198

Okay class! Pop quiz. If you've been doing the readings, this should be a piece of cake. Remember to fill out both sides of this paper. You have the whole class period to finish. Good luck.1. Christopher Columbus first traveled to the Americas using which means of transportation?A) A cargo shipB) A steam locomotiveC) A Boeing 747 airliner D) A vintage red 1985 Camaro with a crack in the middle of the windshield and no heated seats2. What is the term...

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At the time, I was too young to understand why we were carrying all of Dad’s belongings to the driveway. I staggered down the sidesteps in my coat and dropped a box full of clothes onto the pavement with a thud. Cold air blew up my sleeves. The wind rustled the tulips that had just begun to flower. My button-nosed brother, Collin, came out the screen door with a recycled blender box. White snowflakes fluttered around him. “What do I do with it, Candace?” “Put it on top of this one,” I instructed, my long, strawberry hair whipping around my f...

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**possible sensitive content: sudden, unexpected death of an adult child**Dear Nancy,As I sit here lost in thought on the eve of the total eclipse of the sun, I’m trying to think about something funny or witty about tomorrow’s big event, but nothing is coming to me. There’s just nothing funny on my mind right now.So I turn to poetry instead. I write a catchy line about the sunset cremating the sky over the ocean at Pescadero. I saw that “cremation” decades ago when death was the furthest thing from my much younger mind. And then your email a...

“ Momentary Darkness ” by Alexander Francis

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“ Chasing Her Storm ” by C.N. Jung

Submitted to Contest #244

The world has a way of taking a peaceful life and bringing into it storms of turbulence. Skies once clear and cloudless overtaken by a dark overcast of depression. Rains of doubt and winds of worthlessness screaming down until they destroy everything in their wake.Every feeling of hope and every ray of sunshine blotted out by a thunderstorm of the worst life has to offer.When I was eight, that was before the clouds started to roll in on the horizon. When I was eight, I had a toy astronaut. He had a shiny, silver suit and a space mask. His na...

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Looking at him gave me a vision of a future I couldn't have, deep brown eyes that held my every dream of a better life. I was a dead man. My end was in sight, but the mere sight of him filled me with a feeling more painful than the threat of death. Hope. Hope for a way out of this mess, hope that there was anything that could change my fate, and above all else, hoped to love and be loved once again. In the face of certain demise, even the barest hint of his crooked smile could force me out of my resignation. Death row was a terrible place fo...

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The Best Sad Short Stories

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many of us like a nice Nicholas-Sparks-level cry from time to time (sharpens those empathy skills, no?). Reading sad short stories can help you release your own emotions, and make you feel more connected to the world around you. Narratives of separation, pain, heartbreak, nostalgia, and loss are undeniably important in bringing people together.

It’s strange but true that reading sad short stories when you’re wallowing in your own negative emotions can actually provide some much-needed comfort. Maybe it’s that we recognize that others have felt our feelings before, in a sort of literary camaraderie; maybe it’s just that we feel validated. Either way, a good sad short story (especially a sad love story!) can be balm for the soul.

You’ve come to the right place

On this page, you can read all the sad short stories submitted to our weekly writing contest — and we’ve put winning or shortlisted stories up top for your convenience. They’re written by a diverse group of writers and are guaranteed to hit you right in the feels. Whatever kind of sadness you’re looking for, we’ll have a story for you. And since this is quite a broad category, you can also look out for additional tags on every story you click on, so you can easily determine which stories suit your mood. You can also find our favorite stories from across genres anthologised in Prompted , our new literary magazine — be sure to pick up your free copy!

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• Micro Expressions Training Tools
• Facial Action Coding System
• Micro Expressions

What is Sadness?

Sadness is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world resulting from the loss of someone or something important. W hat causes us sadness varies greatly based on personal and cultural notions of loss. While sadness is often considered a “negative” emotion, it serves an important role in signaling a need to receive help or comfort.

Feeling sadness

Sadness describes the range, or family , of emotional states we can experience containing everything from mild disappointment to extreme despair and anguish.

Sadness can also be experienced along with other emotions, such as:

• Anger (e.g., having a loved one abandon you)
• Fear (e.g., that we will not be able to cope or move on with life)
• Joy (e.g., reminiscing about time spent with the lost person or thing; pleasure from the comfort provided by others)

What makes us sad

The universal trigger for sadness is the loss of a valued person or object, though this can vary greatly between individuals based on their personal definitions of value and loss.

Common sadness triggers:

• Rejection by a friend or lover
• Endings and goodbyes
• Sickness or death of a loved one
• The loss of some aspect of identity (e.g., during times of transition at home, work, life stages)
• Being disappointed by an unexpected outcome (e.g., not receiving a raise at work when you expected it)

Moods and disorders

The key difference between mood and emotion is duration, or how long it lasts. Sadness is one of the longer-lasting emotions and often cycles through periods of protest, resignation, and helplessness. It’s important to note, however, that sadness is different from depression, which is a common but serious psychological disorder described by recurrent, persistent, and intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness that interfere with daily living.

For more information about depression, read here .

Recognizing sadness

Facial expression of sadness.

One very strong and reliable sign of sadness is the angling-up of the inner corners of the eyebrows. Few people are able to manipulate these muscles voluntarily, making it especially difficult to fake (unlike some other facial movements).

Vocal expression of sadness

Depending on the type and intensity of sadness, someone’s voice can either become lower in pitch and softer in volume, or higher in pitch and louder in volume (e.g., wailing).

Sensations of sadness

Common sensations include tightness of the chest, heaviness of the limbs, stinging in the throat, and/or watery eyes.

Posture of sadness

There is often a loss of muscle tone, a lowered or hunched posture, and looking away and/or downwards.

The function of sadness

The universal function of sadness is to, in some way, signal for help. This can be a signal to others saying that we need comforting, or to ourselves to take some time and recoup from our loss.

Responding to sadness in ourselves

Some people can derive pleasure from their sadness and may even seek out experiences that evoke sadness for a cathartic effect. Others, however, have an extreme aversion to sadness and may go to great lengths to avoid situations which they believe may trigger the emotion. This may even cause some to avoid attachment or commitment since it could leave them vulnerable to loss and sadness.

Responding to sadness in others

Knowing how someone is feeling doesn’t necessarily mean we want to acknowledge it -it depends on the context and the relationship. In some situations, simply acknowledging that you are sorry for another person’s loss might be helpful, whereas for others it may not be.

Spotting sadness when it is subtle tells you that something important is happening or has happened, that it involves loss, and that this person probably needs some form of comforting. The expression itself, however, doesn’t tell you whether you are the right person to give that comforting, or if this is the right time to offer it.

Additional Resources

Learn to recognize and respond to the emotional expressions of others with our online micro expressions training tools to increase your ability to detect deception and catch subtle emotional cues.

Expand your knowledge of emotional skills and competencies with live online and in-person workshops.

Delve into personal exploration and transformation with Cultivating Emotional Balance .

Build your emotional vocabulary with the Atlas of Emotions , a free, interactive learning tool created by Drs. Paul and Eve Ekman at the request of the Dalai Lama.

Read Dr. Ekman’s guide to emotions, the best-seller Emotions Revealed .

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College Essays

Just as there are noteworthy examples of excellent college essays that admissions offices like to publish, so are there cringe-worthy examples of terrible college essays that end up being described by anonymous admissions officers on Reddit discussion boards.

While I won't guarantee that your essay will end up in the first category, I will say that you follow my advice in this article, your essay most assuredly won't end up in the second. How do you avoid writing a bad admissions essay? Read on to find out what makes an essay bad and to learn which college essay topics to avoid. I'll also explain how to recognize bad college essays—and what to do to if you end up creating one by accident.

What Makes Bad College Essays Bad

What exactly happens to turn a college essay terrible? Just as great personal statements combine an unexpected topic with superb execution, flawed personal statements compound problematic subject matter with poor execution.

Problems With the Topic

The primary way to screw up a college essay is to flub what the essay is about or how you've decided to discuss a particular experience. Badly chosen essay content can easily create an essay that is off-putting in one of a number of ways I'll discuss in the next section.

The essay is the place to let the admissions office of your target college get to know your personality, character, and the talents and skills that aren't on your transcript. So if you start with a terrible topic, not only will you end up with a bad essay, but you risk ruining the good impression that the rest of your application makes.

Some bad topics show admissions officers that you don't have a good sense of judgment or maturity , which is a problem since they are building a class of college students who have to be able to handle independent life on campus.

Other bad topics suggest that you are a boring person , or someone who doesn't process your experience in a colorful or lively way, which is a problem since colleges want to create a dynamic and engaged cohort of students.

Still other bad topics indicate that you're unaware of or disconnected from the outside world and focused only on yourself , which is a problem since part of the point of college is to engage with new people and new ideas, and admissions officers are looking for people who can do that.

Problems With the Execution

Sometimes, even if the experiences you discuss could be the foundation of a great personal statement, the way you've structured and put together your essay sends up warning flags. This is because the admissions essay is also a place to show the admissions team the maturity and clarity of your writing style.

One way to get this part wrong is to exhibit very faulty writing mechanics , like unclear syntax or incorrectly used punctuation. This is a problem since college-ready writing is one of the things that's expected from a high school graduate.

Another way to mess this up is to ignore prompt instructions either for creative or careless reasons. This can show admissions officers that you're either someone who simply blows off directions and instructions or someone who can't understand how to follow them . Neither is a good thing, since they are looking for people who are open to receiving new information from professors and not just deciding they know everything already.

College Essay Topics To Avoid

Want to know why you're often advised to write about something mundane and everyday for your college essay? That's because the more out-there your topic, the more likely it is to stumble into one of these trouble categories.

Too Personal

The problem with the overly personal essay topic is that revealing something very private can show that you don't really understand boundaries . And knowing where appropriate boundaries are will be key for living on your own with a bunch of people not related to you.

Unfortunately, stumbling into the TMI zone of essay topics is more common than you think. One quick test for checking your privacy-breaking level: if it's not something you'd tell a friendly stranger sitting next to you on the plane, maybe don't tell it to the admissions office.

• Describing losing your virginity, or anything about your sex life really. This doesn't mean you can't write about your sexual orientation—just leave out the actual physical act.
• Writing in too much detail about your illness, disability, any other bodily functions. Detailed meaningful discussion of what this physical condition has meant to you and your life is a great thing to write about. But stay away from body horror and graphic descriptions that are simply there for gratuitous shock value.
• Waxing poetic about your love for your significant other. Your relationship is adorable to the people currently involved in it, but those who don't know you aren't invested in this aspect of your life.
• Confessing to odd and unusual desires of the sexual or illegal variety. Your obsession with cultivating cacti is wonderful topic, while your obsession with researching explosives is a terrible one.

Too Revealing of Bad Judgment

Generally speaking, leave past illegal or immoral actions out of your essay . It's simply a bad idea to give admissions officers ammunition to dislike you.

Some exceptions might be if you did something in a very, very different mindset from the one you're in now (in the midst of escaping from danger, under severe coercion, or when you were very young, for example). Or if your essay is about explaining how you've turned over a new leaf and you have the transcript to back you up.

• Writing about committing crime as something fun or exciting. Unless it's on your permanent record, and you'd like a chance to explain how you've learned your lesson and changed, don't put this in your essay.
• Describing drug use or the experience of being drunk or high. Even if you're in a state where some recreational drugs are legal, you're a high school student. Your only exposure to mind-altering substances should be caffeine.
• Making up fictional stories about yourself as though they are true. You're unlikely to be a good enough fantasist to pull this off, and there's no reason to roll the dice on being discovered to be a liar.
• Detailing your personality flaws. Unless you have a great story of coping with one of these, leave deal-breakers like pathological narcissism out of your personal statement.

Too Overconfident

While it's great to have faith in your abilities, no one likes a relentless show-off. No matter how magnificent your accomplishments, if you decide to focus your essay on them, it's better to describe a setback or a moment of doubt rather that simply praising yourself to the skies.

• Bragging and making yourself the flawless hero of your essay. This goes double if you're writing about not particularly exciting achievements like scoring the winning goal or getting the lead in the play.
• Having no awareness of the actual scope of your accomplishments. It's lovely that you take time to help others, but volunteer-tutoring a couple of hours a week doesn't make you a saintly figure.

Too Clichéd or Boring

Remember your reader. In this case, you're trying to make yourself memorable to an admissions officer who has been reading thousands of other essays . If your essay makes the mistake of being boring or trite, it just won't register in that person's mind as anything worth paying attention to.

• Transcribing your resume into sentence form or writing about the main activity on your transcript. The application already includes your resume, or a detailed list of your various activities. Unless the prompt specifically asks you to write about your main activity, the essay needs to be about a facet of your interests and personality that doesn't come through the other parts of the application.
• Writing about sports. Every athlete tries to write this essay. Unless you have a completely off-the-wall story or unusual achievement, leave this overdone topic be.
• Being moved by your community service trip to a third-world country. Were you were impressed at how happy the people seemed despite being poor? Did you learn a valuable lesson about how privileged you are? Unfortunately, so has every other teenager who traveled on one of these trips. Writing about this tends to simultaneously make you sound unempathetic, clueless about the world, way over-privileged, and condescending. Unless you have a highly specific, totally unusual story to tell, don't do it.
• Reacting with sadness to a sad, but very common experience. Unfortunately, many of the hard, formative events in your life are fairly universal. So, if you're going to write about death or divorce, make sure to focus on how you dealt with this event, so the essay is something only you could possibly have written. Only detailed, idiosyncratic description can save this topic.
• Going meta. Don't write about the fact that you're writing the essay as we speak, and now the reader is reading it, and look, the essay is right here in the reader's hand. It's a technique that seems clever, but has already been done many times in many different ways.
• Offering your ideas on how to fix the world. This is especially true if your solution is an easy fix, if only everyone would just listen to you. Trust me, there's just no way you are being realistically appreciative of the level of complexity inherent in the problem you're describing.
• Starting with a famous quotation. There usually is no need to shore up your own words by bringing in someone else's. Of course, if you are writing about a particular phrase that you've adopted as a life motto, feel free to include it. But even then, having it be the first line in your essay feels like you're handing the keys over to that author and asking them to drive.
• Using an everyday object as a metaphor for your life/personality. "Shoes. They are like this, and like that, and people love them for all of these reasons. And guess what? They are just like me."

Too Off-Topic

Unlike the essays you've been writing in school where the idea is to analyze something outside of yourself, the main subject of your college essay should be you, your background, your makeup, and your future . Writing about someone or something else might well make a great essay, but not for this context.

• Paying tribute to someone very important to you. Everyone would love to meet your grandma, but this isn't the time to focus on her amazing coming of age story. If you do want to talk about a person who is important to your life, dwell on the ways you've been impacted by them, and how you will incorporate this impact into your future.
• Documenting how well other people do things, say things, are active, while you remain passive and inactive in the essay. Being in the orbit of someone else's important lab work, or complex stage production, or meaningful political activism is a fantastic learning moment. But if you decide to write about, your essay should be about your learning and how you've been influenced, not about the other person's achievements.
• Concentrating on a work of art that deeply moved you. Watch out for the pitfall of writing an analytical essay about that work, and not at all about your reaction to it or how you've been affected since. Check out our explanation of how to answer Topic D of the ApplyTexas application to get some advice on writing about someone else's work while making sure your essay still points back at you.

(Image: Pieter Christoffel Wonder [Public domain] , via Wikimedia Commons)

Too Offensive

With this potential mistake, you run the risk of showing a lack of self-awareness or the ability to be open to new ideas . Remember, no reader wants to be lectured at. If that's what your essay does, you are demonstrating an inability to communicate successfully with others.

Also, remember that no college is eager to admit someone who is too close-minded to benefit from being taught by others. A long, one-sided essay about a hot-button issue will suggest that you are exactly that.

• Ranting at length about political, religious, or other contentious topics. You simply don't know where the admissions officer who reads your essay stands on any of these issues. It's better to avoid upsetting or angering that person.
• Writing a one-sided diatribe about guns, abortion, the death penalty, immigration, or anything else in the news. Even if you can marshal facts in your argument, this essay is simply the wrong place to take a narrow, unempathetic side in an ongoing debate.
• Mentioning anything negative about the school you're applying to. Again, your reader is someone who works there and presumably is proud of the place. This is not the time to question the admissions officer's opinions or life choices.

College Essay Execution Problems To Avoid

Bad college essays aren't only caused by bad topics. Sometimes, even if you're writing about an interesting, relevant topic, you can still seem immature or unready for college life because of the way you present that topic—the way you actually write your personal statement. Check to make sure you haven't made any of the common mistakes on this list.

Tone-Deafness

Admissions officers are looking for resourcefulness, the ability to be resilient, and an active and optimistic approach to life —these are all qualities that create a thriving college student. Essays that don't show these qualities are usually suffering from tone-deafness.

• Being whiny or complaining about problems in your life. Is the essay about everyone doing things to/against you? About things happening to you, rather than you doing anything about them? That perspective is a definite turn-off.
• Trying and failing to use humor. You may be very funny in real life, but it's hard to be successfully funny in this context, especially when writing for a reader who doesn't know you. If you do want to use humor, I'd recommend the simplest and most straightforward version: being self-deprecating and low-key.
• Talking down to the reader, or alternately being self-aggrandizing. No one enjoys being condescended to. In this case, much of the function of your essay is to charm and make yourself likable, which is unlikely to happen if you adopt this tone.
• Being pessimistic, cynical, and generally depressive. You are applying to college because you are looking forward to a future of learning, achievement, and self-actualization. This is not the time to bust out your existential ennui and your jaded, been-there-done-that attitude toward life.

(Image: Eduard Munch [Public Domain] , via Wikimedia Commons)

Lack of Personality

One good question to ask yourself is: could anyone else have written this essay ? If the answer is yes, then you aren't doing a good job of representing your unique perspective on the world. It's very important to demonstrate your ability to be a detailed observer of the world, since that will be one of your main jobs as a college student.

• Avoiding any emotions, and appearing robot-like and cold in the essay. Unlike essays that you've been writing for class, this essay is meant to be a showcase of your authorial voice and personality. It may seem strange to shift gears after learning how to take yourself out of your writing, but this is the place where you have to put as much as yourself in as possible.
• Skipping over description and specific details in favor of writing only in vague generalities. Does your narrative feel like a newspaper horoscope, which could apply to every other person who was there that day? Then you're doing it wrong and need to refocus on your reaction, feelings, understanding, and transformation.

Off-Kilter Style

There's some room for creativity here, yes, but a college essay isn't a free-for-all postmodern art class . True, there are prompts that specifically call for your most out-of-left-field submission, or allow you to submit a portfolio or some other work sample instead of a traditional essay. But on a standard application, it's better to stick to traditional prose, split into paragraphs, further split into sentences.

• Submitting anything other than just the materials asked for on your application. Don't send food to the admissions office, don't write your essay on clothing or shoes, don't create a YouTube channel about your undying commitment to the school. I know there are a lot of urban legends about "that one time this crazy thing worked," but they are either not true or about something that will not work a second time.
• Writing your essay in verse, in the form of a play, in bullet points, as an acrostic, or any other non-prose form. Unless you really have a way with poetry or playwriting, and you are very confident that you can meet the demands of the prompt and explain yourself well in this form, don't discard prose simply for the sake of being different.
• Using as many "fancy" words as possible and getting very far away from sounding like yourself. Admissions officers are unanimous in wanting to hear your not fully formed teenage voice in your essay. This means that you should write at the top of your vocabulary range and syntax complexity, but don't trade every word up for a thesaurus synonym. Your essay will suffer for it.

Failure to Proofread

Most people have a hard time checking over their own work. This is why you have to make sure that someone else proofreads your writing . This is the one place where you can, should—and really must—get someone who knows all about grammar, punctuation and has a good eye for detail to take a red pencil to your final draft.

Otherwise, you look like you either don't know the basic rules or writing (in which case, are you really ready for college work?) or don't care enough to present yourself well (in which case, why would the admissions people care about admitting you?).

• Typos, grammatical mistakes, punctuation flubs, weird font/paragraph spacing issues. It's true that these are often unintentional mistakes. But caring about getting it right is a way to demonstrate your work ethic and dedication to the task at hand.
• Going over the word limit. Part of showing your brilliance is being able to work within arbitrary rules and limitations. Going over the word count points to a lack of self-control, which is not a very attractive feature in a college applicant.
• Repeating the same word(s) or sentence structure over and over again. This makes your prose monotonous and hard to read.

Bad College Essay Examples—And How to Fix Them

The beauty of writing is that you get to rewrite. So if you think of your essay as a draft waiting to be revised into a better version rather than as a precious jewel that can't bear being touched, you'll be in far better shape to correct the issues that always crop up!

Now let's take a look at some actual college essay drafts to see where the writer is going wrong and how the issue could be fixed.

Essay #1: The "I Am Writing This Essay as We Speak" Meta-Narrative

Was your childhood home destroyed by a landspout tornado? Yeah, neither was mine. I know that intro might have given the impression that this college essay will be about withstanding disasters, but the truth is that it isn't about that at all.

In my junior year, I always had in mind an image of myself finishing the college essay months before the deadline. But as the weeks dragged on and the deadline drew near, it soon became clear that at the rate things are going I would probably have to make new plans for my October, November and December.

Falling into my personal wormhole, I sat down with my mom to talk about colleges. "Maybe you should write about Star Trek ," she suggested, "you know how you've always been obsessed with Captain Picard, calling him your dream mentor. Unique hobbies make good topics, right? You'll sound creative!" I played with the thought in my mind, tapping my imaginary communicator pin and whispering "Computer. Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. And then an Essay." Nothing happened. Instead, I sat quietly in my room wrote the old-fashioned way. Days later I emerged from my room disheveled, but to my dismay, this college essay made me sound like just a guy who can't get over the fact that he'll never take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. So, I tossed my essay away without even getting to disintegrate it with a phaser set on stun.

I fell into a state of panic. My college essay. My image of myself in senior year. Almost out of nowhere, Robert Jameson Smith offered his words of advice. Perfect! He suggested students begin their college essay by listing their achievements and letting their essay materialize from there. My heart lifted, I took his advice and listed three of my greatest achievements - mastering my backgammon strategy, being a part of TREE in my sophomore year, and performing "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance in public. And sure enough, I felt inspiration hit me and began to type away furiously into the keyboard about my experience in TREE, or Trees Require Engaged Environmentalists. I reflected on the current state of deforestation, and described the dichotomy of it being both understandable why farmers cut down forests for farmland, and how dangerous this is to our planet. Finally, I added my personal epiphany to the end of my college essay as the cherry on the vanilla sundae, as the overused saying goes.

After 3 weeks of figuring myself out, I have converted myself into a piece of writing. As far as achievements go, this was definitely an amazing one. The ability to transform a human being into 603 words surely deserves a gold medal. Yet in this essay, I was still being nagged by a voice that couldn't be ignored. Eventually, I submitted to that yelling inner voice and decided that this was not the right essay either.

In the middle of a hike through Philadelphia's Fairmount Park, I realized that the college essay was nothing more than an embodiment of my character. The two essays I have written were not right because they have failed to become more than just words on recycled paper. The subject failed to come alive. Certainly my keen interest in Star Trek and my enthusiasm for TREE are a great part of who I am, but there were other qualities essential in my character that did not come across in the essays.

With this realization, I turned around as quickly as I could without crashing into a tree.

What Essay #1 Does Well

Here are all things that are working on all cylinders for this personal statement as is.

Killer First Sentence

Was your childhood home destroyed by a landspout tornado? Yeah, neither was mine.

• A strange fact. There are different kinds of tornadoes? What is a "landspout tornado" anyway?
• A late-night-deep-thoughts hypothetical. What would it be like to be a kid whose house was destroyed in this unusual way?
• Direct engagement with the reader. Instead of asking "what would it be like to have a tornado destroy a house" it asks "was your house ever destroyed."

Gentle, Self-Deprecating Humor That Lands Well

I played with the thought in my mind, tapping my imaginary communicator pin and whispering "Computer. Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. And then an Essay." Nothing happened. Instead, I sat quietly in my room wrote the old-fashioned way. Days later I emerged from my room disheveled, but to my dismay, this college essay made me sound like just a guy who can't get over the fact that he'll never take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. So, I tossed my essay away without even getting to disintegrate it with a phaser set on stun.

The author has his cake and eats it too here: both making fun of himself for being super into the Star Trek mythos, but also showing himself being committed enough to try whispering a command to the Enterprise computer alone in his room. You know, just in case.

A Solid Point That Is Made Paragraph by Paragraph

The meat of the essay is that the two versions of himself that the author thought about portraying each fails in some way to describe the real him. Neither an essay focusing on his off-beat interests, nor an essay devoted to his serious activism could capture everything about a well-rounded person in 600 words.

(Image: fir0002 via Wikimedia Commons .)

Where Essay #1 Needs Revision

Rewriting these flawed parts will make the essay shine.

Spending Way Too Long on the Metanarrative

I know that intro might have given the impression that this college essay will be about withstanding disasters, but the truth is that it isn't about that at all.

After 3 weeks of figuring myself out, I have converted myself into a piece of writing. As far as achievements go, this was definitely an amazing one. The ability to transform a human being into 603 words surely deserves a gold medal.

Look at how long and draggy these paragraphs are, especially after that zippy opening. Is it at all interesting to read about how someone else found the process of writing hard? Not really, because this is a very common experience.

In the rewrite, I'd advise condensing all of this to maybe a sentence to get to the meat of the actual essay .

Letting Other People Do All the Doing

I sat down with my mom to talk about colleges. "Maybe you should write about Star Trek ," she suggested, "you know how you've always been obsessed with Captain Picard, calling him your dream mentor. Unique hobbies make good topics, right? You'll sound creative!"

Almost out of nowhere, Robert Jameson Smith offered his words of advice. Perfect! He suggested students begin their college essay by listing their achievements and letting their essay materialize from there.

Twice in the essay, the author lets someone else tell him what to do. Not only that, but it sounds like both of the "incomplete" essays were dictated by the thoughts of other people and had little to do with his own ideas, experiences, or initiative.

In the rewrite, it would be better to recast both the Star Trek and the TREE versions of the essay as the author's own thoughts rather than someone else's suggestions . This way, the point of the essay—taking apart the idea that a college essay could summarize life experience—is earned by the author's two failed attempts to write that other kind of essay.

Leaving the Insight and Meaning Out of His Experiences

Both the Star Trek fandom and the TREE activism were obviously important life experiences for this author—important enough to be potential college essay topic candidates. But there is no description of what the author did with either one, nor any explanation of why these were so meaningful to his life.

It's fine to say that none of your achievements individually define you, but in order for that to work, you have to really sell the achievements themselves.

In the rewrite, it would be good to explore what he learned about himself and the world by pursuing these interests . How did they change him or seen him into the person he is today?

Not Adding New Shades and Facets of Himself Into the Mix

So, I tossed my essay away without even getting to disintegrate it with a phaser set on stun.

Yet in this essay, I was still being nagged by a voice that couldn't be ignored. Eventually, I submitted to that yelling inner voice and decided that this was not the right essay either.

In both of these passages, there is the perfect opportunity to point out what exactly these failed versions of the essay didn't capture about the author . In the next essay draft, I would suggest subtly making a point about his other qualities.

For example, after the Star Trek paragraph, he could talk about other culture he likes to consume, especially if he can discuss art forms he is interested in that would not be expected from someone who loves Star Trek .

Or, after the TREE paragraph, the author could explain why this second essay was no better at capturing him than the first. What was missing? Why is the self in the essay shouting—is it because this version paints him as an overly aggressive activist?

Essay #2: The "I Once Saw Poor People" Service Trip Essay

Unlike other teenagers, I'm not concerned about money, or partying, or what others think of me. Unlike other eighteen year-olds, I think about my future, and haven't become totally materialistic and acquisitive. My whole outlook on life changed after I realized that my life was just being handed to me on a silver spoon, and yet there were those in the world who didn't have enough food to eat or place to live. I realized that the one thing that this world needed more than anything was compassion; compassion for those less fortunate than us.

During the summer of 2006, I went on a community service trip to rural Peru to help build an elementary school for kids there. I expected harsh conditions, but what I encountered was far worse. It was one thing to watch commercials asking for donations to help the unfortunate people in less developed countries, yet it was a whole different story to actually live it. Even after all this time, I can still hear babies crying from hunger; I can still see the filthy rags that they wore; I can still smell the stench of misery and hopelessness. But my most vivid memory was the moment I first got to the farming town. The conditions of it hit me by surprise; it looked much worse in real life than compared to the what our group leader had told us. Poverty to me and everyone else I knew was a foreign concept that people hear about on the news or see in documentaries. But this abject poverty was their life, their reality. And for the brief ten days I was there, it would be mine too. As all of this realization came at once, I felt overwhelmed by the weight of what was to come. Would I be able to live in the same conditions as these people? Would I catch a disease that no longer existed in the first world, or maybe die from drinking contaminated water? As these questions rolled around my already dazed mind, I heard a soft voice asking me in Spanish, "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" I looked down to see a small boy, around nine years of age, who looked starved, and cold, wearing tattered clothing, comforting me. These people who have so little were able to forget their own needs, and put those much more fortunate ahead of themselves. It was at that moment that I saw how selfish I had been. How many people suffered like this in the world, while I went about life concerned about nothing at all?

Thinking back on the trip, maybe I made a difference, maybe not. But I gained something much more important. I gained the desire to make the world a better place for others. It was in a small, poverty-stricken village in Peru that I finally realized that there was more to life than just being alive.

What Essay #2 Does Well

Let's first point out what this draft has going for it.

Clear Chronology

This is an essay that tries to explain a shift in perspective. There are different ways to structure this overarching idea, but a chronological approach that starts with an earlier opinion, describes a mind changing event, and ends with the transformed point of view is an easy and clear way to lay this potentially complex subject out.

(Image: User:Lite via Wikimedia Commons)

Where Essay #2 Needs Revision

Now let's see what needs to be changed in order for this essay to pass muster.

Condescending, Obnoxious Tone

Unlike other teenagers, I'm not concerned about money, or partying, or what others think of me. Unlike other eighteen year-olds, I think about my future, and haven't become totally materialistic and acquisitive.

This is a very broad generalization, which doesn't tend to be the best way to formulate an argument—or to start an essay. It just makes this author sound dismissive of a huge swath of the population.

In the rewrite, this author would be way better off just concentrate on what she want to say about herself, not pass judgment on "other teenagers," most of whom she doesn't know and will never meet.

I realized that the one thing that this world needed more than anything was compassion; compassion for those less fortunate than us.

Coming from someone who hasn't earned her place in the world through anything but the luck of being born, the word "compassion" sounds really condescending. Calling others "less fortunate" when you're a senior in high school has a dehumanizing quality to it.

These people who have so little were able to forget their own needs, and put those much more fortunate in front of themselves.

Again, this comes across as very patronizing. Not only that, but to this little boy the author was clearly not looking all that "fortunate"—instead, she looked pathetic enough to need comforting.

In the next draft, a better hook could be making the essay about the many different kinds of shifting perspectives the author encountered on that trip . A more meaningful essay would compare and contrast the points of view of the TV commercials, to what the group leader said, to the author's own expectations, and finally to this child's point of view.

Vague, Unobservant Description

During the summer of 2006, I went on a community service trip to rural Peru to help build an elementary school for kids there. I expected harsh conditions, but what I encountered was far worse. It was one thing to watch commercials asking for donations to help the unfortunate people in less developed countries, yet it was a whole different story to actually live it. Even after all this time, I can still hear babies crying from hunger; I can still see the filthy rags that they wore; I can still smell the stench of misery and hopelessness.

Phrases like "cries of the small children from not having enough to eat" and "dirt stained rags" seem like descriptions, but they're really closer to incurious and completely hackneyed generalizations. Why were the kids were crying? How many kids? All the kids? One specific really loud kid?

The same goes for "filthy rags," which is both an incredibly insensitive way to talk about the clothing of these villagers, and again shows a total lack of interest in their life. Why were their clothes dirty? Were they workers or farmers so their clothes showing marks of labor? Did they have Sunday clothes? Traditional clothes they would put on for special occasions? Did they make their own clothes? That would be a good reason to keep wearing clothing even if it had "stains" on it.

The rewrite should either make this section more specific and less reliant on cliches, or should discard it altogether .

The conditions of it hit me by surprise; it looked much worse in real life than compared to the what our group leader had told us. Poverty to me and everyone else I knew was a foreign concept that people hear about on the news or see in documentaries. But this abject poverty was their life, their reality.

If this is the "most vivid memory," then I would expect to read all the details that have been seared into the author's brain. What did their leader tell them? What was different in real life? What was the light like? What did the houses/roads/grass/fields/trees/animals/cars look like? What time of day was it? Did they get there by bus, train, or plane? Was there an airport/train station/bus terminal? A city center? Shops? A marketplace?

There are any number of details to include here when doing another drafting pass.

Lack of Insight or Maturity

But this abject poverty was their life, their reality. And for the brief ten days I was there, it would be mine too. As all of this realization came at once, I felt overwhelmed by the weight of what was to come. Would I be able to live in the same conditions as these people? Would I catch a disease that no longer existed in the first world, or maybe die from drinking contaminated water?

Without a framing device explaining that this initial panic was an overreaction, this section just makes the author sound whiny, entitled, melodramatic, and immature . After all, this isn't a a solo wilderness trek—the author is there with a paid guided program. Just how much mortality is typically associated with these very standard college-application-boosting service trips?

In a rewrite, I would suggest including more perspective on the author's outsized and overprivileged response here. This would fit well with a new focus on the different points of view on this village the author encountered.

Unearned, Clichéd "Deep Thoughts"

But I gained something much more important. I gained the desire to make the world a better place for others. It was in a small, poverty-stricken village in Peru that I finally realized that there was more to life than just being alive.

Is it really believable that this is what the author learned? There is maybe some evidence to suggest that the author was shaken somewhat out of a comfortable, materialistic existence. But what does "there is more to life than just being alive" even really mean? This conclusion is rather vague, and seems mostly a non sequitur.

In a rewrite, the essay should be completely reoriented to discuss how differently others see us than we see ourselves, pivoting on the experience of being pitied by someone who you thought was pitiable. Then, the new version can end by on a note of being better able to understand different points of view and other people's perspectives .

The Bottom Line

• Bad college essays have problems either with their topics or their execution.
• The essay is how admissions officers learn about your personality, point of view, and maturity level, so getting the topic right is a key factor in letting them see you as an aware, self-directed, open-minded applicant who is going to thrive in an environment of independence.
• The essay is also how admissions officers learn that you are writing at a ready-for-college level, so screwing up the execution shows that you either don't know how to write, or don't care enough to do it well.
• The main ways college essay topics go wrong is bad taste, bad judgment, and lack of self-awareness.
• The main ways college essays fail in their execution have to do with ignoring format, syntax, and genre expectations.

What's Next?

Want to read some excellent college essays now that you've seen some examples of flawed one? Take a look through our roundup of college essay examples published by colleges and then get help with brainstorming your perfect college essay topic .

Need some guidance on other parts of the application process? Check out our detailed, step-by-step guide to college applications for advice.

Are you considering taking the SAT or ACT again before you submit your application? Read about our famous test prep guides for hints and strategies for a better score.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Broken Wings

Don't Break Me

No Longer Free

Always Alone

Needing Help

Fighting The Demons In My Head

Tattoos In My Mind

Destruction of the Innocent

Never Yours

Not In Control

Forgotten and Broken

Alive But Dead

The Things I Think Of When I'm Alone

Don't Forget About Me

Don't Leave Without Me

I've Got To Face This

I Want To Be Known By You

Beaten Down

The Ghost of You

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

Inspiration & Information for Self-Improvement

257+ Names That Mean Sad [Despair, Lonely, Sorrow, Bad Luck, Misfortune]

Names that mean sad, despair, lonely, sorrow, bad luck, and misfortune are typically associated with negative emotions and events.

Some characteristics of these names include:

• Negative connotations : These names typically have negative meanings associated with sadness, despair, loneliness, sorrow, bad luck, and misfortune. They may be seen as unfortunate or unlucky names.
• Uncommon : These names are not as common as other names and may be considered unique or uncommon. Parents may choose these names to stand out or express a particular sentiment.
• Deeply emotional : Names that mean sadness, despair, loneliness, sorrow, bad luck, and misfortune evoke strong emotions and can be deeply meaningful to those who choose them.
• Cultural significance : These names may have cultural or religious significance in certain traditions or communities. They may be used to commemorate a particular event or person or as a way of expressing a particular belief or value.
• Symbolic meanings : Some names that mean sadness or despair may have symbolic meanings associated with them. For example, the name Rachel means “ewe” in Hebrew and is associated with mourning and grief because of the biblical story of Rachel mourning the loss of her children.

Overall, names that mean sadness, despair, loneliness, sorrow, bad luck, and misfortune can be powerful and meaningful choices for parents who want to express a particular sentiment or honor a particular tradition.

However, it’s important to consider the potential impact these names may have on the child as they grow up and navigate the world with a name that has such negative connotations.

Table of Contents

Names That Mean Sad and Meanings

Names That Mean Sad and Meanings:

• Hecate – A Greek name meaning “far off” or “distant” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning as she was often associated with death and the underworld.
• Desdemona – A Greek name meaning “ill-fated” or “unlucky” due to the character in Shakespeare’s “Othello” who meets a tragic end.
• Akira – A Japanese name meaning “bright” or “intelligent” but can also have a connection to sadness and despair as it is associated with the film “Grave of the Fireflies” which tells the story of two children during the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Japan.
• Keiran – An Irish name meaning “little dark one” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness as it is associated with the novel “The Dark Is Rising”.
• Jocasta – A Greek name meaning “shining moon” but can also have a connection to sadness and tragedy due to the character in Greek mythology who unwittingly marries her own son.
• Hester – An English name meaning “star” but can also have a connection to sadness and shame due to the character in the novel “The Scarlet Letter”.
• Shiva – A Sanskrit name meaning “auspicious one” but can also have a connection to sadness and destruction as Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and transformation.
• Kaida – A Japanese name meaning “little dragon” but can also have a connection to sadness and grief as it is associated with the film “Grave of the Fireflies”.
• Atropos – A Greek name meaning “inevitable” or “unavoidable” but can also have a connection to sadness and death as she was one of the three Fates in Greek mythology responsible for cutting the thread of life.
• Layla – An Arabic name meaning “night” but can also have a connection to sadness and longing as it is associated with the famous tragic love story “Layla and Majnun”.

Names That Mean Sad or Despair

Names That Mean Sad or Despair:

• Malancha – A Hindi name meaning “sadness”
• Tenebris – A Latin name meaning “darkness” or “gloom”
• Eustacia – A Greek name meaning “good” or “steadfast” but also has a connection to sadness and despair due to the character in the novel “The Return of the Native”
• Lament – An English name meaning “to mourn” or “express sorrow”
• Adalgisa – An Italian name meaning “noble hostage” but has a connection to sadness due to the tragic opera “Norma”
• Tethys – A Greek name meaning “grief” or “mourning”
• Algernon – An English name meaning “whiskered warrior” but also has a connection to sadness due to the play “The Importance of Being Earnest”
• Thana – An Arabic name meaning “death” or “fate”, which can be associated with sadness and despair
• Dirge – An English name meaning “a mournful song or poem”
• Shoku – A Japanese name meaning “melancholy” or “gloomy”

Names That Mean Sad and Lonely

Names That Mean Sad and Lonely:

• Adhira – An Indian name meaning “restless” or “sad and lonely”
• Calantha – A Greek name meaning “lovely blossom” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the myth of a nymph who turned into a flower to avoid Apollo’s affections
• Amalia – A German name meaning “hardworking” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the novel “The Three Musketeers”
• Enid – A Welsh name meaning “soul” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the Arthurian legend who dies of a broken heart
• Alina – A Slavic name meaning “bright” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the novel “The Last of the Mohicans”
• Eudora – A Greek name meaning “good gift” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the novel “The Scarlet Letter”
• Soraya – A Persian name meaning “princess” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the novel “Midnight’s Children”
• Arianrhod – A Welsh name meaning “silver wheel” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in Welsh mythology who was cursed to live alone
• Ananke – A Greek name meaning “necessity” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in Greek mythology who was associated with fate and the inevitability of death
• Orpah – A Hebrew name meaning “back of the neck” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness due to the character in the Bible who was left alone after her husband died.

Sadness Names

Sadness Names:

• Aria – An Italian name meaning “air” but can also have a connection to sadness and melancholy as it is associated with the musical term “aria”, which refers to a solo piece expressing emotion.
• Dolores – A Spanish name meaning “sorrows” or “pains” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning.
• Ciaran – An Irish name meaning “dark-haired” but can also have a connection to sadness and despair as it is associated with the novel “The Dark Is Rising”.
• Evangeline – A Greek name meaning “bearer of good news” but can also have a connection to sadness and loss as it is associated with the poem “Evangeline” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which tells the story of a woman searching for her lost love.
• Morrigan – An Irish name meaning “phantom queen” but can also have a connection to sadness and death as she was the goddess of war and fate.
• Tristan – A Celtic name meaning “sad” or “sorrowful” due to the tragic romance story of Tristan and Isolde.
• Lucinda – A Spanish name meaning “light” but can also have a connection to sadness and despair as it is associated with the novel “Lucinda’s Secret”.
• Amadeus – A Latin name meaning “loved by God” but can also have a connection to sadness and tragedy as it is associated with the character in the play and film “Amadeus” who becomes consumed with jealousy and despair.
• Morana – A Slavic name meaning “death” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning as she was the goddess of death and winter.
• Teagan – An Irish name meaning “little poet” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness as it is associated with the novel “Teagan of Tomorrow”.

Names With Sad Meanings

Names With Sad Meanings:

• Mabel – An English name meaning “lovable” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning as it is associated with the novel “The Unloved”.
• Kali – A Sanskrit name meaning “black” or “time” but can also have a connection to sadness and destruction as Kali is the Hindu goddess of time and death.
• Adair – A Scottish name meaning “oak tree ford” but can also have a connection to sadness and grief as it is associated with the novel “The Way We Fall”.
• Cassandra – A Greek name meaning “she who entangles men” but can also have a connection to sadness and tragedy due to the character in Greek mythology who was cursed to always prophesy the truth but never be believed.
• Eurydice – A Greek name meaning “wide justice” but can also have a connection to sadness and tragedy due to the character in Greek mythology who died and was trapped in the underworld.
• Macbeth – A Scottish name meaning “son of life” but can also have a connection to sadness and tragedy due to the character in Shakespeare’s play who becomes consumed with guilt and despair.
• Zillah – A Hebrew name meaning “shade” or “shadow” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness as it is associated with the novel “The World Below”.
• Rhiannon – A Welsh name meaning “great queen” but can also have a connection to sadness and loss due to the character in Welsh mythology who lost her child.
• Ophelia – A Greek name meaning “help” but can also have a connection to sadness and despair due to the character in Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” who goes mad and drowns.
• Rosalind – An English name meaning “pretty rose” but can also have a connection to sadness and loss as it is associated with the character in Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It” who is banished from her home.

Names Meaning Misfortune

Names Meaning Misfortune:

• Mallory – This name means “unfortunate” or “ill-fated”.
• Azrael – This name means “helper of God” but is also associated with the Angel of Death in some traditions.
• Nerezza – This name means “darkness” or “misfortune”.
• Maura – This name means “bitter” or “unlucky”.
• Zilla – This name means “shadow” or “shade”.
• Sable – This name means “black” or “dark”.
• Calamity – This name literally means “a disaster” or “a great misfortune”.
• Cain – This name means “acquired” or “something possessed”, but it is also associated with the biblical figure who committed the first murder.
• Demogorgon – This name means “demon” or “specter”.
• Dolores – This name means “sorrow” or “pain”.

Names Meaning Bad Luck

Names Meaning Bad Luck:

• Jinx – This name literally means “a person or thing that brings bad luck”.
• Vex – This name means “to annoy” or “to cause trouble”, and could be associated with bad luck.
• Dysis – This name means “sunset” or “the end”, which could be associated with bad luck or endings.
• Maelstrom – This name means “a powerful whirlpool in the sea”, which could be associated with danger and bad luck.
• Tempest – This name means “a violent storm”, which could be associated with chaos and bad luck.
• Hex – This name means “a spell or curse”, which could be associated with bad luck.
• Blight – This name means “a disease or something that causes harm or death to plants”, which could be associated with bad luck.
• Aeron – This name means “battle” or “carnage”, which could be associated with bad luck.
• Famine – This name means “a widespread scarcity of food”, which could be associated with bad luck and hardship.
• Havoc – This name means “widespread destruction”, which could be associated with chaos and bad luck.

Names That Mean Sorrow

Names That Mean Sorrow:

• Keegan – This name means “small and fiery one”, but could also be associated with sorrow.
• Sorley – This name means “summer traveler” or “summer wanderer”, but could also be associated with sorrow and longing.
• Evangeline – This name means “good news” or “bearer of good news”, but could also be associated with sorrow and heartbreak.
• Tristan – This name means “sorrowful” or “sad”, and is often associated with tragic love stories.
• Deirdre – This name means “sorrowful” or “broken-hearted”, and is often associated with tragic tales.
• Lachlan – This name means “from the fjord-land” or “war-like”, but could also be associated with sorrow.
• Darcy – This name means “dark one” or “from Arcy”, but could also be associated with sorrow and melancholy.
• Siobhan – This name means “God is gracious” or “God’s gift”, but could also be associated with sorrow and sadness.
• Cainan – This name means “possession” or “sorrowful”, and is sometimes associated with biblical figures who suffered sorrow.
• Lysandra – This name means “liberator” or “one who sets free”, but could also be associated with sorrow and grief.

Names That Mean Depression

Names That Mean Depression:

• Desolace – An English name meaning “loneliness” or “desolation”.
• Akula – A Native American name meaning “sad” or “stays alone”.
• Manfred – A German name meaning “man of peace” but also has a connection to depression due to the character in the play “Manfred” who suffers from despair and loneliness.
• Iniki – A Hawaiian name meaning “strong and piercing wind” but can also have a connection to depression and despair.
• Gloomy – An English name meaning “sad” or “miserable”.
• Dysthymia – A Greek name meaning “melancholy” or “depression”.
• Melancholia – A Greek name meaning “sadness” or “depression”.
• Havok – An English name meaning “widespread destruction” but can also have a connection to depression and despair.
• Malaise – A French name meaning “discomfort” or “unease” but can also have a connection to depression and malaise.
• Eeyore – An English name meaning “donkey” but can also have a connection to depression and sadness due to the character in Winnie-the-Pooh who is always sad.

Japanese Names That Mean Sad

Japanese Names That Mean Sad:

• Ureshii – A Japanese name meaning “happy” but can also have a connection to sadness and longing due to the idea that happiness is fleeting and can be accompanied by sadness.
• Kanashimi – A Japanese name meaning “sadness” or “grief”.
• Sabishi – A Japanese name meaning “lonely” or “melancholy”.
• Yoru – A Japanese name meaning “night” but can also have a connection to sadness and loneliness as night can be a time of isolation.
• Kuyashii – A Japanese name meaning “regret” or “frustration” but can also have a connection to sadness and despair.
• Wasuremono – A Japanese name meaning “forgotten thing” but can also have a connection to sadness and loss.
• Shimai – A Japanese name meaning “sisters” but can also have a connection to sadness and separation.
• Hitori – A Japanese name meaning “alone” but can also have a connection to sadness and isolation.
• Maboroshi – A Japanese name meaning “illusion” but can also have a connection to sadness and the fleeting nature of life.
• Tsundoku – A Japanese name meaning “the act of acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one’s home without reading them” but can also have a connection to sadness and feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of modern life.

Names That Mean Broken Soul

Names That Mean Broken Soul:

• Hecate – A Greek name meaning “far off” or “distant” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as she was often associated with the dead and the underworld.
• Kintsukuroi – A Japanese name meaning “golden repair” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold.
• Bronte – An English name meaning “thunder” but can also have a connection to a broken soul due to the sisters Bronte who wrote novels about the struggles of the human soul.
• Nerea – A Basque name meaning “mine” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the novel “The Secret History of Las Vegas.
• Kairos – A Greek name meaning “opportune moment” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it represents the moments in life when a miracle can happen.
• Zephyr – A Greek name meaning “west wind” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the winds of change and hope.
• Sedna – An Inuit name meaning “mother of the sea” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as she was once believed to be a goddess of grief and sorrow.
• Nahuel – A Mapuche name meaning “jaguar” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as jaguars are seen as protectors in native cultures and often represent strength during hard times.
• Lenore – A German name meaning “light” or “torch” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe which speaks of a tortured soul.
• Tirzah – A Hebrew name meaning “delightful” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the Book of Lamentations which speaks of sorrow and suffering.

Names That Mean Cursed

Names That Mean Cursed:

• Azazel – A Hebrew name meaning “scapegoat” but can also have a connection to being cursed or banished.
• Damocles – A Greek name meaning “fame of the people” but can also have a connection to being cursed due to the story of Damocles and the sword that hung over his head.
• Anathema – A Greek name meaning “curse” or “excommunication”.
• Tantalus – A Greek name meaning “to bear” or “to suffer” but can also have a connection to being cursed due to the story of Tantalus who was punished by the gods for his crimes.
• Kalki – A Sanskrit name meaning “destroyer of filth” but can also have a connection to being cursed or a harbinger of doom as Kalki is the name of the final incarnation of Vishnu in Hindu mythology.
• Oedipus – A Greek name meaning “swollen foot” but can also have a connection to being cursed or doomed due to the story of Oedipus and the prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother.
• Sisyphus – A Greek name meaning “to cause pain” but can also have a connection to being cursed or doomed due to the story of Sisyphus and the boulder he was doomed to roll up a hill for eternity.
• Pandora – A Greek name meaning “all gifted” but can also have a connection to being cursed or responsible for bringing about evil due to the story of Pandora and the box.
• Cain – A Hebrew name meaning “acquired” but can also have a connection to being cursed due to the story of Cain and Abel.
• Lilith – A Hebrew name meaning “night monster” but can also have a connection to being cursed or a demoness.

Names That Mean Sadness or Saddened

Names That Mean Sadness or Saddened:

• Dolorosa – A Latin name meaning “sorrowful” or “grieving”.
• Galen – A Greek name meaning “calm” but can also have a connection to sadness and melancholy due to the character in the novel “The Magus”.
• Lirio – A Spanish name meaning “lily” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning.
• Nerea – A Basque name meaning “mine” but can also have a connection to sadness and longing.
• Jorah – A Hebrew name meaning “autumn rain” but can also have a connection to sadness and melancholy.
• Sorrow – An English name meaning “deep distress” or “grief”.
• Aisha – An Arabic name meaning “living” but can also have a connection to sadness and mourning.
• Dismas – A Greek name meaning “sunset” but can also have a connection to sadness and regret.
• Bronte – An English name meaning “thunder”
• Nerea – A Basque name meaning “mine” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the novel “The Secret History of Las Vegas”.
• Kairos – A Greek name meaning “opportune moment” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it represents the moments in life where one feels lost or directionless.
• Arianrhod – A Welsh name meaning “silver wheel” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the mythological figure who falls from grace.
• Niamh – An Irish name meaning “radiance” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the novel “The Secret History of Las Vegas”.
• Gwendolyn – A Welsh name meaning “blessed ring” but can also have a connection to a broken soul as it is associated with the novel “The Magus”.
• Ariadne – A Greek name meaning “most holy” but can also have a connection to a broken soul due to the character in Greek mythology who is abandoned by Theseus on the island of Naxos.
• Alastor – A Greek name meaning “avenger” or “tormentor” but can also have a connection to a broken soul due to the character in Percy Jackson and the Olympians who is cursed to live a life of isolation and misery.
• Malédiction – A French name that means “curse” or “malediction.”
• Keres – A Greek name that means “doom” or “death spirit.”
• Ayame – A Japanese name that means “iris” or “cursed love.”
• Adikia – A Greek name that means “injustice” or “unrighteousness.”
• Anathema – A Greek name that means “curse” or “excommunication.”
• Dugan – An Irish name that means “black-haired” or “dark curse.”
• Kaida – A Japanese name that means “little dragon” or “cursed.”
• Gorgon – A Greek name that means “dreadful” or “cursed.”
• Tantalus – A Greek name that means “to suffer” or “cursed by the gods.”
• Zalika – A Swahili name that means “well-born” or “cursed.”

Names Meaning Suffering

Names Meaning Suffering:

• Achan – A Hebrew name that means “troubled” or “sorrowful.”
• Anwar – An Arabic name that means “brighter” or “more radiant” and can also be translated as “sorrow.”
• Dolor – A Latin name that means “pain” or “sorrow.”
• Hektor – A Greek name that means “to hold fast” or “to endure” and can also be translated as “sorrowful.”
• Jabez – A Hebrew name that means “he causes pain” or “one who suffers.”
• Lament – An English name that means “to mourn” or “to grieve.”
• Mara – A Hebrew name that means “bitter” or “sorrowful.”
• Rina – A Hebrew name that means “song of joy” or “sorrowful.”
• Sachi – A Japanese name that means “happiness” or “blessing” but can also be translated as “sorrowful.”
• Shani – A Hebrew name that means “scarlet” or “crimson” and can also be translated as “one who suffers.”

Names That Mean Sad in Japanese

Names That Mean Sad in Japanese:

• Kanashimi – A Japanese name that means “sadness.”
• Mutsuki – A Japanese name that means “January” and can also be translated as “sad moon.”
• Sabishi – A Japanese name that means “lonely” or “sad.”
• Setsuna – A Japanese name that means “moment” or “instant” and can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Shiina – A Japanese name that means “calm” or “quiet” and can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Sora – A Japanese name that means “sky” or “heaven” and can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Ureshii – A Japanese name that means “happy” or “joyful” but can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Wakana – A Japanese name that means “young greens” or “fresh vegetables” and can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Yoru – A Japanese name that means “night” and can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Yukino – A Japanese name that means “snow field” and can also be translated as “sadness.”

French Names That Mean Sad

French Names That Mean Sad:

• Triste – This is a French word that directly translates to “sad” in English and can be used as a name.
• Abat – This name means “dejected” or “downcast.”
• Mélancolie – This name means “melancholy” in French.
• Désespéré – This name means “desperate” or “hopeless.”
• Chagrin – This name means “grief” or “sorrow.”
• Nostalgie – This name means “nostalgia” or “longing.”
• Somber – This name means “somber” or “gloomy.”
• Désolé – This name means “sorry” or “regretful.”
• Fâché – This name means “angry” or “upset.”
• Affligé – This name means “distressed” or “grieved.”

Korean Names That Mean Sad

Korean Names That Mean Sad:

• 아픔 (Apeum) – This name means “pain” or “sorrow” in Korean.
• 비탄 (Bitan) – This name means “grief” or “sorrowful” in Korean.
• 우울 (Uul) – This name means “depression” or “melancholy” in Korean.
• 쓸쓸 (Sseulsseul) – This name means “lonely” or “solitary” in Korean.
• 근심 (Geunsim) – This name means “anxiety” or “worry” in Korean.
• 애수 (Aesu) – This name means “sorrow” or “grief” in Korean.
• 서럽다 (Seoreopda) – This name means “heartbroken” or “mournful” in Korean.
• 슬프다 (Seulpeuda) – This name means “sad” or “melancholy” in Korean.
• 적막 (Jeokmak) – This name means “silence” or “solitude” in Korean.
• 추모 (Chumo) – This name means “mourning” or “remembrance” in Korean.

Spanish Names That Mean Sad

Spanish Names That Mean Sad:

• Tristeza – This name means “sadness” or “gloom” in Spanish.
• Dolor – This name means “pain” or “sorrow” in Spanish.
• Pena – This name means “grief” or “sorrow” in Spanish.
• Angustia – This name means “anguish” or “distress” in Spanish.
• Luto – This name means “mourning” or “bereavement” in Spanish.
• Melancolía – This name means “melancholy” or “sadness” in Spanish.
• Desolación – This name means “desolation” or “loneliness” in Spanish.
• Abatimiento – This name means “depression” or “downcast” in Spanish.
• Desesperanza – This name means “hopelessness” or “despair” in Spanish.
• Soledad – This name means “solitude” or “loneliness” in Spanish.

Names That Mean Saddened

Names That Mean Saddened:

• Keisha – An African name that means “sorrowful.”
• Malin – A Swedish name that means “sad” or “little warrior.”
• Nadia – A Slavic name that means “hope” but can also be translated as “saddened.”
• Rhett – An English name that means “enthusiastic” or “passionate” but can also be translated as “saddened.”
• Sorrow – An English name that means “grief” or “sadness.”
• Tami – A Japanese name that means “people” or “saddened beauty.”
• Tasi – A Native American name that means “sorrow” or “mourning.”
• Trista – An English name that means “sad” or “sorrowful.”
• Yui – A Japanese name that means “tie” or “bind” but can also be translated as “saddened.”
• Zainab – An Arabic name that means “fragrant flower” but can also be translated as “saddened.”

Names That Mean Sad Things

Names That Mean Sad Things:

• Dolores – A Spanish name that means “sorrow” or “pain.”
• Ghoul – An Arabic name that means “demon” or “evil spirit.”
• Inanna – A Sumerian name that means “lady of heaven” but can also be translated as “lamentation” or “mourning.”
• Kek – An Egyptian name that means “darkness” or “chaos.”
• Lila – An Arabic name that means “night” but can also be translated as “sadness.”
• Morana – A Slavic name that means “death” or “goddess of death.”
• Orpheus – A Greek name that means “darkness” or “gloom.”
• Raven – An English name that means “dark bird” and is associated with death and sorrow.
• Sable – An English name that means “dark” or “black” and is associated with mourning.
• Tenebris – A Latin name that means “darkness” or “gloom.”

FAQs – Names That Mean Sad

What are some popular names that mean sad in different cultures.

There are many names in different languages that can be translated to mean “sad.” Here are a few examples:

• Tristan – of Celtic origin, meaning “sorrowful” or “sad”
• Sorrow – an English name that literally means “sadness”
• Dov – of Hebrew origin, meaning “bear” or “sorrowful”
• Deirdre – of Irish origin, meaning “sorrowful” or “sad”
• Malancha – of Bengali origin, meaning “sad” or “melancholic”
• Thilakshy – of Tamil origin, meaning “with sad eyes”

It’s important to note that choosing a name with a negative connotation like “sad” may not be ideal for a child’s self-esteem and well-being.

It’s always a good idea to research the cultural and linguistic background of a name before making a decision.

What are some names that mean sad?

Names That Mean Sad:

• Keegan – This name means “little fire” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Sorrow – This name means “sadness” or “grief” and is used as a name in some cultures.
• Dora – This name means “gift” but is also associated with sadness or grief.
• Tristan – This name means “sad” or “sorrowful” in Celtic.
• Lana – This name means “little rock” but is also associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Lila – This name means “night” but can also be associated with sadness or grief.
• Kaiya – This name means “forgiveness” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Bronte – This name means “thunder” but is also associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Caius – This name means “sorrowful” or “mourning” in Latin.
• Malancha – This name means “melancholy” or “sadness” in Bengali.

What boy names means sadness?

Boy Names That Mean Sadness:

• Aidan – This name means “little fire” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Soren – This name means “stern” or “severe” but is also associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Ethan – This name means “firm” or “strong” but is also associated with sadness or grief.
• Hiram – This name means “exalted brother” but can also be associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Lucian – This name means “light” but is also associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Havelock – This name means “sea competition” but is also associated with sadness or grief.
• Acheron – This name means “river of woe” in Greek mythology and is associated with sadness and suffering.
• Othello – This name means “prosperous” but is also associated with tragedy and sadness.
• Elazar – This name means “God has helped” but can also be associated with sadness or sorrow.

What girl names means sadness?

Girl Names That Mean Sadness:

• Kaida – This name means “little dragon” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Isolde – This name means “ice ruler” but is also associated with sadness or grief.
• Sable – This name means “black” but can also be associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Darcie – This name means “dark” but can also be associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Kalina – This name means “rowan tree” but is also associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Desdemona – This name means “ill-fated” or “unlucky” and is associated with tragedy and sadness.
• Sorrel – This name means “reddish-brown” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Tahlia – This name means “dew of heaven” but can also be associated with sadness or melancholy.
• Edana – This name means “fire” but is also associated with sadness or sorrow.
• Anwen – This name means “very fair” but can also be associated with sadness or grief.

What names mean suffering?

Names That Mean Suffering:

• Dolor – This name means “pain” or “suffering” in Spanish.
• Elvira – This name means “truth” but can also be associated with suffering or grief.
• Lament – This name means “expression of sorrow” or “mourning.”
• Marabel – This name means “bitter” or “suffering” in Latin.
• Mallory – This name means “unfortunate” or “unlucky.”
• Jabez – This name means “pain” or “sorrow” in Hebrew.
• Keira – This name means “dark” or “little dark one” but can also be associated with suffering or grief.
• Tristan – This name means “sad” or “sorrowful” but can also be associated with suffering or hardship.
• Job – This name means “persecuted” or “afflicted” and is associated with suffering in the Bible.
• Mara – This name means “bitter” or “sorrowful” in Hebrew and is associated with suffering in the Bible.

What names mean tears?

Names That Mean Tears:

• Lachlan – This name means “land of the lakes” but can also be associated with tears or weeping.
• Talia – This name means “dew of heaven” but can also be associated with tears or weeping.
• Niobe – This name means “tears” in Greek mythology.
• Brigid – This name means “exalted one” but can also be associated with tears or sorrow.
• Ariella – This name means “lion of God” but can also be associated with tears or mourning.
• Elektra – This name means “amber” but can also be associated with tears or lamentation.
• Lucinda – This name means “light” but can also be associated with tears or sorrow.
• Asherah – This name means “grove of trees” but can also be associated with tears or mourning in the Bible.
• Dara – This name means “compassion” but can also be associated with tears or grief.
• Arianne – This name means “most holy” but can also be associated with tears or sorrow.

Conclusion – Names That Mean Sad

Names that mean sad are often associated with emotions and feelings of melancholy, sorrow, grief, and mourning.

These names may reflect a personal experience of sadness or be given to a child as a way to commemorate a sad event or person.

Some common characteristics of names that mean sad include:

• Emotional : These names often have emotional connotations and can evoke feelings of sadness or melancholy in the people who hear them.
• Reflective : Names that mean sad may reflect a personal experience or the experience of a loved one who has passed away.
• Symbolic : Some names may have symbolic meaning, such as names that are associated with death or darkness.
• Uncommon : Names that mean sad are often less common than other names and may be considered more unique or unusual.
• Cultural : Names that mean sad may have cultural significance in certain parts of the world, such as in Japan where certain names are associated with sadness or grief.

Overall, names that mean sad tend to be deeply personal and reflective, and they can be a way for parents to honor their own experiences or the experiences of others who have experienced sadness or loss.

• Names That Mean Lonely

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Synonyms of sad

• as in unhappy
• as in depressing
• as in pathetic
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Thesaurus Definition of sad

Synonyms & Similar Words

• heartbroken
• disappointed
• melancholic
• crestfallen
• disconsolate
• inconsolable
• brokenhearted
• downhearted
• discouraged
• heavyhearted
• low - spirited
• down in the mouth
• disheartened
• comfortless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• exhilarated
• rhapsodical
• unconcerned
• lighthearted
• happy - go - lucky
• devil - may - care
• heartbreaking
• unfortunate
• distressful
• heartrending
• distressing
• disquieting
• discouraging
• disheartening
• discomforting
• dispiriting
• discomposing
• stimulating
• pleasurable
• heartwarming
• exhilarating
• contemptible
• disgraceful
• ignominious
• disreputable
• discreditable
• dishonorable
• misbegotten
• outstanding
• respectable
• commendable
• meritorious
• praiseworthy
• presentable
• redoubtable

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Cite this entry.

“Sad.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sad. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on sad

Nglish: Translation of sad for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of sad for Arabic Speakers

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