saudade
Americannoun
Usage
What does saudade mean? Saudade is a word for a sad state of intense longing for someone or something that is absent. Saudade comes from Portuguese culture, and it is often expressed in its literature and music.Saudade is described as a kind of melancholy yearning. Melancholy means sad, and yearning is a strong, persistent longing or desire, especially for something unattainable. In Portuguese literature and music, saudade is used as a theme or a motif, which is a recurring subject, idea, or element in an artistic work.Saudade is most often discussed in terms of its importance to Portuguese culture and for the supposed difficulty in translating it to English.
Etymology
Origin of saudade
First recorded in 1910–15; from Portuguese: literally, “yearning,” from Latin sōlitāt-, stem of sōlitās “loneliness, solitude” ( Latin -l- between vowels is lost in Portuguese); the original Old Portuguese soidade was changed to saudade by association with saudar “to greet” ( salute 1 ( def. ) )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The child had used the word saudade, a Portuguese term that conveys feelings of longing and melancholy.
From New York Times
His new album, “Saudade,” sets Edwards’ urgent vocals against a backdrop of soaring, multi-layered arrangements in an adventurous set that sounds pretty darn polished for a first-timer.
From Washington Times
At the heart of fado is saudade.
From The Guardian
Gilberto is credited with originating the bossa nova style with the release of the 1959 record “Chega de Saudade.”
From Reuters
Go back and listen to Gilberto sing his signature lullaby “Chega de Saudade” — in 1959, in 2000, or anytime in between — and that profound third force has the quiet power of nature itself.
From Washington Post
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
