ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nostalgic

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //nɔˈstæɫdʒɪk// UK //nəstˈældʒɪk// nos·tal·gic

adj. feeling a happy but slightly sad longing for the past. You feel this when you remember a time or place that you miss.

adj. characterised by a sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past. Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'feel' or 'become'.


SIMPLE

I feel nostalgic when I hear songs from my childhood.

CONTEXTUAL

The old photographs made her feel nostalgic for the summers she spent at her grandmother's house.

COMPLEX

The director's latest film is a nostalgic tribute to the golden age of cinema, capturing the aesthetic of the 1950s with meticulous detail and warmth.

Origin

From nostalgia + -ic.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'about' or 'for'.

Pitfall

I am nostalgic of my school daysI am nostalgic for my school daysNostalgic typically takes the preposition 'for' or 'about', not 'of'.

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