35+ Similes for being sad—if you’re here, chances are you’re looking for the right words to express a heavy feeling, and I get that.
I know how frustrating it can be when your emotions are loud, but your vocabulary feels quiet. That’s exactly why I created this guide for you.
In this article, I’ll walk you through expressive, relatable, and beautifully crafted similes that make describing sadness easier and more meaningful.
If you’re writing, healing, or simply trying to put your emotions into words, you’ll find comparisons here that truly capture what you’re feeling.
Top Similes for Being Sad
1. As sad as a wilting flower
Meaning: Feeling emotionally low and fading.
Examples:
“She looked as sad as a wilting flower.”
“His mood was as sad as a wilting flower.”
Others: As droopy as dying leaves 🍂 / As weak as fading petals 🌸 / As still as silent gardens 🌿
2. As lonely as an empty room
Meaning: Deep loneliness.
Examples:
“She felt as lonely as an empty room.”
“He sat there as lonely as an empty room.”
Others: As hollow as a cave 🕳️ / As silent as night streets 🌃 / As bare as winter branches 🌲
3. As down as the setting sun
Meaning: Gradually sinking into sadness.
Examples:
“Her spirit felt as down as the setting sun.”
“He grew as down as the setting sun.”
Others: As low as dimming light 🌅 / As slow as dusk shadows 🌒 / As heavy as nightfall 🌑
4. As broken as shattered glass
Meaning: Deep emotional hurt.
Examples:
“He felt as broken as shattered glass.”
“Her heart was as broken as shattered glass.”
Others: As cracked as old mirrors 🪞 / As fragile as thin ice ❄️ / As hurt as split stone 🪨
5. As blue as a rainy morning
Meaning: Quiet, soft sadness.
Examples:
“She felt as blue as a rainy morning.”
“His words sounded as blue as a rainy morning.”
Others: As dreary as gray skies 🌧️ / As dim as misty windows 🌫️ / As soft as drizzle 🌦️
6. As heavy as a storm cloud
Meaning: Emotional heaviness.
Examples:
“Her heart was as heavy as a storm cloud.”
“He walked as heavy as a storm cloud.”
Others: As weighted as soaked soil 🌧️ / As dark as thunder sky ⛈️ / As full as rising tide 🌊
7. As quiet as falling snow
Meaning: Silent sadness.
Examples:
“She grew as quiet as falling snow.”
“He became as quiet as falling snow.”
Others: As soft as frost ❄️ / As still as winter air 🌬️ / As cold as ice sheets 🧊
8. As tearful as melting ice
Meaning: Sadness that releases slowly.
Examples:
“She was as tearful as melting ice.”
“His eyes were as tearful as melting ice.”
Others: As wet as dew drops 💧 / As soft as dripping rain 🌧️ / As warm as mist 🌫️
9. As lost as a drifting balloon
Meaning: Feeling directionless or emotionally lost.
Examples:
“She felt as lost as a drifting balloon.”
“He wandered as lost as a drifting balloon.”
Others: As aimless as blowing dust 🌬️ / As floating as loose leaves 🍁 / As scattered as wind petals 🌸
10. As empty as a dried-up well
Meaning: Emotional emptiness.
Examples:
“Her heart felt as empty as a dried-up well.”
“He stayed as empty as a dried-up well.”
Others: As hollow as tree trunks 🌳 / As bare as cracked earth 🏜️ / As void as silent caves 🕳️
11. As hopeless as a blown-out candle
Meaning: Losing hope.
Examples:
“She felt as hopeless as a blown-out candle.”
“He stood as hopeless as a blown-out candle.”
Others: As dark as coal 🪨 / As cold as winter nights ❄️ / As silent as ash 🌫️
12. As miserable as cold rain
Meaning: Strong sadness with discomfort.
Examples:
“He felt as miserable as cold rain.”
“She walked home as miserable as cold rain.”
Others: As raw as harsh winds 🌬️ / As wet as stormwater 🌧️ / As chilly as frostbite ❄️
13. As heartbroken as a falling star
Meaning: Sudden emotional collapse.
Examples:
“She felt as heartbroken as a falling star.”
“He looked as heartbroken as a falling star.”
Others: As shattered as broken skies 🌌 / As dim as fading starlight ⭐ / As dramatic as meteor trails ☄️
14. As gloomy as winter twilight
Meaning: Deep, lingering sadness.
Examples:
“She grew as gloomy as winter twilight.”
“He stayed as gloomy as winter twilight.”
Others: As muted as pale skies 🌫️ / As dim as fading candles 🕯️ / As cold as barren fields 🏔️
15. As sorrowful as a mourning dove
Meaning: Quiet, emotional sorrow.
Examples:
“She sounded as sorrowful as a mourning dove.”
“His tone was as sorrowful as a mourning dove.”
Others: As soft as cooing birds 🕊️ / As gentle as fading songs 🎵 / As low as hush winds 🍃
16. As hurt as a bruised apple
Meaning: Tender emotional pain.
Examples:
“He felt as hurt as a bruised apple.”
“She looked as hurt as a bruised apple.”
Others: As soft as damaged petals 🌸 / As marked as old pages 📖 / As fragile as worn cloth 🧵
17. As defeated as a sinking ship
Meaning: Feeling like everything is failing.
Examples:
“He felt as defeated as a sinking ship.”
“She walked in as defeated as a sinking ship.”
Others: As low as crumbling cliffs 🏔️ / As hopeless as stormy seas 🌊 / As heavy as broken anchors ⚓
18. As numb as winter stone
Meaning: Beyond sadness—emotionless.
Examples:
“She felt as numb as winter stone.”
“He stood as numb as winter stone.”
Others: As cold as frozen lakes ❄️ / As still as deep caves 🕳️ / As silent as icy dawn 🌨️
19. As sorrowful as fading music
Meaning: Slowly fading sadness.
Examples:
“Her voice was as sorrowful as fading music.”
“He felt as sorrowful as fading music.”
Others: As quiet as last notes 🎶 / As soft as drifting sound 🌫️ / As distant as echo trails 🌄
20. As downhearted as drooping branches
Meaning: Sadness weighing you down.
Examples:
“She looked as downhearted as drooping branches.”
“He stood as downhearted as drooping branches.”
Others: As heavy as soaked bark 🌧️ / As tired as old trees 🌲 / As limp as wet leaves 🍃
21. As weepy as a leaking roof
Meaning: On the verge of crying.
Examples:
“He was as weepy as a leaking roof.”
“She looked as weepy as a leaking roof.”
Others: As dripping as melting snow ❄️ / As wet as storm gutters 🌧️ / As shaky as loose windows 🪟
22. As sorrow-heavy as gray fog
Meaning: Thick, lingering sadness.
Examples:
“He felt as sorrow-heavy as gray fog.”
“She walked as sorrow-heavy as gray fog.”
Others: As hazy as smoke 🌫️ / As dense as storm mist 🌬️ / As dull as shadow clouds 🌥️
23. As sad as a forgotten song
Meaning: Sadness tied to neglect or memory.
Examples:
“She felt as sad as a forgotten song.”
“He sounded as sad as a forgotten song.”
Others: As quiet as dusty books 📚 / As faint as lost echoes 🌄 / As soft as distant hums 🎵
24. As sorrowful as crumpled letters
Meaning: Emotional disappointment.
Examples:
“He looked as sorrowful as crumpled letters.”
“She held the note, sorrowful as crumpled letters.”
Others: As worn as old envelopes ✉️ / As faded as decades-old ink 🖋️ / As broken as split paper 📄
25. As gloomy as low thunder
Meaning: Heavy, rolling sadness.
Examples:
“He felt as gloomy as low thunder.”
“She whispered, gloomy as low thunder.”
Others: As deep as storm drums ⛈️ / As heavy as dark clouds 🌧️ / As low as rumbling winds 🌬️
26. As down as a fallen leaf
Meaning: Feeling emotionally low or tired.
Examples:
“She felt as down as a fallen leaf.”
“He drifted as down as a fallen leaf.”
Others: As still as forest floors 🍂 / As soft as crushed grass 🌾 / As delicate as torn petals 🌸
27. As aching as an old wound
Meaning: Sadness that stays over time.
Examples:
“He felt as aching as an old wound.”
“She carried sadness as aching as an old wound.”
Others: As sore as bruised skin 💙 / As raw as scraped bark 🌲 / As sharp as cracked stone 🪨
28. As depressed as a sunless day
Meaning: Deep, heavy sadness.
Examples:
“He felt as depressed as a sunless day.”
“She moved as depressed as a sunless day.”
Others: As dark as stormy skies ⛈️ / As dull as muddy water 🌫️ / As bleak as winter mornings ❄️
29. As sorrowful as fading light
Meaning: Soft, delicate sadness.
Examples:
“She stood as sorrowful as fading light.”
“He watched her, sorrowful as fading light.”
Others: As dim as twilight 🌆 / As soft as late dusk 🌙 / As pale as moon haze 🌫️
30. As somber as a quiet church
Meaning: Deep and respectful sadness.
Examples:
“He felt as somber as a quiet church.”
“She stood as somber as a quiet church.”
Others: As silent as stone halls 🏛️ / As hollow as empty pews ⛪ / As still as stained glass windows 🪟
31. As sad as forgotten footsteps
Meaning: Lonely, nostalgic sadness.
Examples:
“She felt as sad as forgotten footsteps.”
“He walked as sad as forgotten footsteps.”
Others: As faint as old roads 🛣️ / As soft as worn paths 🌾 / As distant as shadow memories 🌘
32. As sorrowful as a dying fire
Meaning: Dimming, fading sadness.
Examples:
“He looked as sorrowful as a dying fire.”
“Her eyes were as sorrowful as a dying fire.”
Others: As low as cold embers 🔥 / As faint as smoke trails 🌫️ / As quiet as ash settling 🌨️
33. As crushed as a trampled flower
Meaning: Emotional devastation.
Examples:
“She felt as crushed as a trampled flower.”
“He stood there, crushed as a trampled flower.”
Others: As broken as snapped stems 🌸 / As bruised as crushed petals 🌺 / As soft as torn blossoms 🍃
34. As hopeless as a sealed door
Meaning: No way out of sadness.
Examples:
“He felt as hopeless as a sealed door.”
“She stood as hopeless as a sealed door.”
Others: As blocked as locked gates 🔒 / As tight as closed blinds 🪟 / As limiting as stone walls 🧱
35. As sad as fading echoes
Meaning: Sadness that feels distant but real.
Examples:
“She felt as sad as fading echoes.”
“He sounded as sad as fading echoes.”
Others: As soft as last whispers 🗣️ / As faint as dying sound 🎵 / As quiet as empty halls 🏛️
Conclusion:
Sadness is one of the most complex emotions we feel, yet it’s often the hardest to describe. Similes help transform that heaviness into imagery that others can understand.
By comparing sadness to elements we see, feel, and experience every day, we give our emotions shape and meaning—even when the feeling itself seems overwhelming.
These 35+ similes for being sad are designed to help you express different shades of sadness: quiet sadness, heavy sadness, heartbreak, loneliness, numbness, and the soft sadness that simply lingers.
If you’re writing creatively, journaling, expressing your emotions to someone, or building emotional depth in a character, each simile offers a clear and relatable way to communicate what’s happening inside.
