wistful
/ˈwɪs(t)fʊl
/ /ˈwɪs(t)f(ə)l/adjective
Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing: a wistful smile...
- Clarke has responded to his critics with a dollop of wistful regret, followed by an adamant refusal to back down.
- The look on his face is, by now, nearly wistful; the smile almost bittersweet.
- If you ask about her previous boyfriend and she gets a small, wistful smile on her face, change the subject.
Synonyms
regretful, nostalgic, yearning, longing;
plaintive, rueful, melancholy, sad, mournful, forlorn, disconsolate, woebegone, doleful;
pensive, reflective, contemplative, meditative, dreamy, daydreaming, in a reverie
Derivatives
wistfulness
/ /ˈwɪs(t)f(ə)lnəs/ noun ...- My flirting with him represents some wistfulness, nostalgia and regret of those years past.
- In contrast to the wistfulness associated with nostalgia, however, the feeling here was one of nervousness, and even desperation.
- A seasonal wistfulness follows as I remember the faces and places of the Christmases of the past.
Origin
Early 17th century: apparently from obsolete wistly 'intently', influenced by wishful.