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Meanings of wistful in English

Showing pensive sadness.

Related terms
Usage of wistful in English
1
He was a major painter of birds, animals and luminously wistful landscapes.
The Irish Times
2
He smiled at the wistful look in her face; for he understood.
The Royal Pawn of Venice / A Romance of Cyprus
3
She found great difficulty in meeting the wistful look in his eyes.
The Man from Brodney's
4
But he grew increasingly wistful about the course his life had taken.
The Guardian
5
Given their resources there will be some wistful thoughts about France's style.
The Guardian
6
Yet she could not help turning her wistful gaze toward the stars.
Gravity
7
The wistful glow in her eyes gave the boy a strange feeling.
Phil Bradley's Mountain Boys / The Birch Bark Lodge
8
We even had dinner a couple of times.' She looked momentarily wistful.
The marks of cain
9
The ugly flash in the eyes that had been wistful, shocked her.
The Guests Of Hercules
10
The weariest and the most wistful faces were sheerly transfigured by it.
If Winter Comes
11
Miss Winstock, in the car, sat for the statue of wistful melancholy.
Mr. Prohack
12
The hopeless wistful look in those eyes gave me a singular shock.
Uncle Max
13
Calf-deep in the soothing water I indulge myself in this wistful vision.
Waiting for the Barbarians
14
Jon gave one last wistful look to their distant fire, and followed.
A clash of kings
15
He sounds almost wistful, as if he's forgotten such a time existed.
The nobodies album
16
Her voice had sounded wistful, actually, when she spoke of Eliza's trip.
I'd know you anywhere
About this term
More collocations
Wistful through the time
Wistful across language varieties
United Kingdom
Common
United States of America
Less common
Ireland
Less common