# wistful

/ˈwɪstfəɫ/ (US) · /wˈɪstfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wistful
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. longing for the past

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

feeling a little sad because you are thinking about something you miss or something you wish you had.

For teachers: characterised by melancholy longing or yearning, typically for something lost or unattainable.

- She gave a wistful smile as she looked at the old photos of her childhood home.
- The protagonist’s wistful reflection on his youth serves as a recurring motif throughout the novel, highlighting his inability to reconcile with the present.

Usage: Usually describes a person's expression, look, or tone of voice.

Teaching tip: This word is more about a quiet, thoughtful sadness than a loud or angry one; it often appears in literature to describe nostalgia.

## Examples

- She looked at the old photo with a wistful smile.
- The old man spent his evenings walking by the lake, looking at the water with a wistful expression as he remembered his youth.
- The novel's wistful tone captures the bittersweet nature of growing up, where the protagonist must leave behind the safety of childhood for the uncertain world of adulthood.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.