Etymology Map
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Sad

2 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy

Where does the word "sad" come from? It comes from Old English sæd, adopted directly into English (1300s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
sæd
Old English · medieval
"full, sated"
'sated, full, weary of', from the same root as Latin satis 'enough'
2
Stage 2 of 2
sad
Middle English · 1300s
"serious; sorrowful"
shifted through 'steadfast, serious' to 'sorrowful' by the 1300s; 'sad bread', heavy and badly risen, keeps the old sense of 'solid, dense'
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Read the full story

Sad’s story begins in Old English: sæd meant “full, sated.” 'sated, full, weary of', from the same root as Latin satis 'enough'. It reached English by 1300s as sad. Shifted through 'steadfast, serious' to 'sorrowful' by the 1300s; 'sad bread', heavy and badly risen, keeps the old sense of 'solid, dense'. Today, sad means feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.