wistful
🇺🇸 /ˈwɪstfəl/
📖 Definitions
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adjective
Full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; pensive and longing, often for something that is lost or unattainable.; Having a sad, thoughtful, or reflective expression or appearance, often suggesting quiet longing.; Archaic: attentive, watchful, or observant.
🔗 Details
Word forms
Comparative: more wistful
Superlative: most wistful
Collocations
wistful smilewistful lookwistful expressionwistful tonewistful sighwistful longing
Derivatives
wistfullywistfulness
Synonyms
nostalgicyearningpensivemelancholylongingdreamy
Antonyms
cheerfulcontentsatisfied
Commonly confused
wishful
EN: 'Wishful' relates to desires or hopes (as in 'wishful thinking'), while 'wistful' conveys a gentle, melancholic longing, often for the past.
Spelling tips
EN: Do not confuse 'wistful' with 'wishful'—they look similar but have distinct meanings. 'Wistful' has no 'h' and implies sad longing, not hopeful desire.
💬 Examples
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She cast a wistful glance at the old house where she had grown up.
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His wistful smile hinted at memories he could never fully recapture.
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The wistful traveler kept his eyes on the distant horizon for any sign of the village.