wistfully

Everyday

1. In a sad, longing way, as when you wish for something you cannot have or something that is gone. tree →
2. In a quietly thoughtful, dreamy way, with a little sadness. tree →

In the lessons

Stories use «wistfully» to show a feeling without saying it outright: a character who looks wistfully at a shop window wants the toy but cannot buy it. In The Wind in the Willows the Mole and the Rat feel the pull of home and of far-off lands, and the Rat gazes wistfully south after meeting the Sea Rat. Often with «look», «gaze», «smile», «sigh», «say». A good word for creative writing to show longing.

Examples

• Tom looked wistfully at the bikes in the shop window. tree →
• The old sailor smiled wistfully as he talked about the sea. tree →
• «I wish summer could last forever,» she said wistfully. tree →
• The puppy gazed wistfully at the biscuit on the table. tree →
• Gran wistfully remembered her school days. tree →
• The Rat stared wistfully south, where the swallows had flown. tree →
• He stood beneath the tree looking long and wistfully at the peacock's bright feathers. tree →

Note

Adverb from the adjective «wistful» + «-ly». Spelled with one l in «wist-» and double l at the end: «wistfully». Not the same as «wishful» (based on wishing, like «wishful thinking»), though close.