Spanish word

entristecer

Pronunciation

IPA/entɾisteˈθeɾ/

Meaning

  • verbmake sad

Example

Esta canción me entristece.

This song makes me sad.

Illustration for entristecer (make sad)

More examples

Me entristece ver a mis amigos discutir.

It saddens me to see my friends arguing.

Core concept

A hand dimming someone's smile.

Common phrases

  • me entristece que...

    it saddens me that

  • entristecer a alguien

    sadden someone

Similar words

apenar: Cause someone to feel regret or mild disappointment.
afligir: Cause someone deep sorrow or intense grief.
deprimir: Make someone feel low in mood or temporarily depressed.
entristecerse: Become sad.

Definition in Spanish

Provocar en alguien la sensación de pena o melancolía; causar que una persona se sienta triste.

Word origin

Derived from en- + triste (Latin tristis 'sad') with the suffix -ecer that converts the adjective into a verb indicating a caused change of state, yielding the sense 'to make sad'.

Usage tips

  • Entristecer is normally transitive (algo entristece a alguien), and when the focus is someone becoming sad Spanish often uses the pronominal entristecerse or the colloquial ponerse triste.

Other meanings

  • become sadverb

Opposites

  • alegrarmake happyverb
  • alegrarsebecome happyverb

Related words

  • entristecimientosadnessnoun
  • entristecidosaddenedadjective
  • entristecedorsaddeningadjective

Word lists with this word