ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsW–Zwistful
ISEE/SSAThard
wistful
Meaning: having a feeling of vague or regretful longing
wistful in a sentence
How wistful is used in real sentences:
She gave a wistful sigh as she looked through photos of her childhood home.
The old man's wistful expression showed how much he missed his college days.
“Letters entrusted to the ship sound wistful now, dwelling on gardens and relatives their writers expected to see again.”
— from the passage The Eastern Turn
Synonyms for wistful
Other words for wistful — nostalgic and yearning — carry the same meaning.
- nostalgic
- yearning
Antonyms of wistful
Words that mean the opposite of wistful:
- content
Where it comes from
Possibly related to Middle English wistlich 'intent'
Memory hook
WISTFUL sounds like WISH-full — full of wishing for the past.