wistful
Meaning: Having or showing a feeling of gentle sadness, typically tinged with longing or regret for something lost or unattained.
Wistful describes a tender, reflective sadness that is more gentle than melancholy and less acute than grief. It often accompanies thoughts of the past or of possibilities that never materialised. The word carries a distinctly attractive, even romantic quality — a wistful person is sympathetic rather than pitiable. Common collocations include 'wistful smile,' 'wistful expression,' 'wistful longing,' and 'wistful glance.' The adverb is 'wistfully.'
Examples
- She cast a wistful glance at the old photograph before carefully returning it to the drawer. 她惆怅地看了一眼那张旧照片,然后小心翼翼地将它放回抽屉。Lanzó una mirada nostálgica a la vieja fotografía antes de devolverla con cuidado al cajón.彼女は古い写真に物悲しげな視線を投げかけてから、それを丁寧に引き出しに戻した。그녀는 오래된 사진에 아련한 시선을 던진 뒤, 조심스럽게 서랍에 다시 넣었다.
- There was something wistful about the way he talked of his student days, as though he knew they had been the happiest time of his life. 他谈起学生时代时有一种惆怅的感觉,仿佛他知道那是自己人生中最幸福的时光。Había algo nostálgico en la manera en que hablaba de sus años de estudiante, como si supiera que habían sido la época más feliz de su vida.学生時代のことを語る彼の口調にはどこか切ないものがあった。まるで、あの頃が人生で最も幸せな時間だったと知っているかのように。학창 시절을 이야기하는 그의 말투에는 어딘가 애잔한 것이 있었다. 마치 그 시절이 인생에서 가장 행복한 시간이었음을 알고 있는 듯했다.
- The song had a wistful quality that seemed to capture the bittersweet ache of growing older. 那首歌有一种令人惆怅的质感,似乎捕捉到了岁月流逝中那种苦乐交织的痛感。La canción tenía una cualidad nostálgica que parecía captar la agridulce punzada de hacerse mayor.その歌には、年を重ねることのほろ苦い痛みを捉えたような、物悲しい趣があった。그 노래에는 나이 들어감의 씁쓸한 아픔을 포착한 듯한, 아련한 정서가 깃들어 있었다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: literary, journalism, general
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
Probably an alteration of the earlier 'wistly' (intently, longingly), possibly influenced by 'wishful.' The exact etymology is uncertain, but the word has been in use since the early 17th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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