sadden

/ˈsædən/

//ˈsædən// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"sadden" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sadden” is uncommon English (frequency #90,924 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,924
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make sad or unhappy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sadden · sadden · English

sadden · rank #90,924 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,924
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH saccharin

Nearest frequency peer: saccharin (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “sadden”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “sadden” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for sadden
PropertyValue
Headwordsadden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈsædən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,924
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “sadden” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).saddenfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “saccharin” (#90,923), “rutted” (#90,922), “Saguenay” (#90,926). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sadden” is #90,924. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

sadden is uncommon English at frequency #90,924 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈsædən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

sadden has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English saddenen, equivalent to sad + -en. The correct English form is sadden, spelled S-A-D-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make sad or unhappy.
  2. 2
    To become sad or unhappy.
  3. 3
    To darken a color during dyeing.
  4. 4
    To render heavy, hard, or cohesive; to compress or thicken.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how sadden appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It saddens me to think that I might have hurt someone.
  2. The turmoil went on—no rest, no peace. […] It was nearly eleven o'clock now, and he strolled out again. In the little fair created by the costers' barrows the evening only seemed beginning; and the naphtha flares made one's eyes ache, the men's voices grated harshly, and the girls' faces saddened one.

Etymology

From Middle English saddenen, equivalent to sad + -en.

Synonyms

aggrieveattristbegloombegrievebesorrowgrievepainbring downcome down oncontristatedarkendashdejectdepressdesolatedispiritengrieveforsetget downgrievenmoanoppressrepentruesaddensadden uptristitiateungladdenunhappyupset

Antonyms

gladden

This word in other languages

apenar(Español)attrister(Français)betrüben(Deutsch)entristecer(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sadden"?
"sadden" is spelled S-A-D-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsædən/.
What does "sadden" mean?
As a verb, "sadden" means: To make sad or unhappy.
How do you pronounce "sadden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sadden" is /ˈsædən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "sadden"?
From Middle English saddenen, equivalent to sad + -en. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sadden", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rutted#90,922rember#90,898sclera#90,950seemly#90,961

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list