51吃瓜

back to school

If fall is approaching, that means we’ve grappled with three of the saddest words in the English language: back to school. Most kids loathe this phrase. (It may also belong on our Happiest 51吃瓜s list, with regard to a different demographic.)

While there鈥檚 no hard data to support that this is one of the saddest phrases in the English language, we think polling a group of kids on how the words make them feel would yield some pretty sad looks and plenty of complaints.

Interestingly, the phrase听back to school became popular during World War I, when听back-to-school drive听referred to a movement encouraging children and teens to return to school after filling jobs during the labor shortage. (How’s that for somber?)

What other phrases cause distress, despair, and discomfort? Grab a hankie or two and check out this list of some of the saddest words and phrases we could find.

WATCH: We Asked These People To Explain The Saddest English Phrases

heartbroken

Heartbroken is a tough word. We define it as 鈥渃rushed with sorrow or grief.鈥� We鈥檝e all been there at one time or another鈥攜ou know it as soon as you feel it, and you can鈥檛 wait for it to go away. This concept tends to rear its ugly head around February 14.

First recorded around 1580鈥�90,听heartbroken 肠辞尘产颈苍别蝉听heart and broken. Here’s how someone used the phrase early on: “He hath annointed me … to heale them that be hart broken.” (Oh, how tragic!)

goodbye

An astute poster on Quora once wrote, 鈥測ou say [goodbye] all the time, but you never know which one is the last.鈥� It’s pretty safe to assume you know why this word made it on our list. As we learned in Romeo and Juliet, “Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

The practice of saying goodbye goes back centuries, with first evidence of the interjection found around 1565鈥�75. It鈥檚 a contraction of the phrase 鈥淕od be with ye.鈥�

Learn more about this wistful term of farewell at our article, “The Holy Reason We Say ‘Goodbye’ And What To Say Instead.”

if only

If only can be defined as 鈥淚 wish that.鈥� For example: If only I had known you were coming, I would have met your plane. This expression can also be one of wistful regret, as in If only we had met 10 years ago. Both if听and听only are old words, dating back to before 900.

lonely

If you鈥檙e lonely, you are inherently sad. One (er, sadly) goes with the other.听Lonely听(which combines lone and -ly)听was first recorded in English around 1600.听Lone听itself dates back to around 1325鈥�75; it’s a variant of alone.

There鈥檚 no possible way to put a positive spin on this one. So, we鈥檒l just leave it be.

love

The word love is evocative of a (mostly) positive and fulfilling emotion, and even has its own holiday every February.

There is a flip side to the coin, however. If love is unrequited, it鈥檚 the worst, and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 on this list. The word dates back to 1535鈥�45.听Requite听means “to give or do in return.”

melancholy

We define melancholy as 鈥渁 gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged; depression.鈥� As an example, think about Charlie Brown lying on the pitching mound after getting drilled with yet another line drive.

Brace yourself: the word听melancholy has a dark, heartbreaking origin. First recorded in 1275鈥�1325, it is derived from the听Greek 尘别濒补苍肠丑辞濒铆补, which means “condition of having black bile鈥� (from听melan-听meaning 鈥渂lack,”听肠丑辞濒岣�听meaning 鈥渂ile, gall,鈥� and the suffix听–ia.)听Bile听is a “bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver.” (That’s definitely a downer.)

terminal

Terminal is never a good word when used in a medical context.听It is another word to which it is nearly impossible to put a good spin. Terminal dates back to around 1480 and is ultimately derived from the Latin word听terminus听(“end, limit”).

What party?

How about a little joke to lighten the mood? The late Carrie Fisher said two of the saddest words in the English language were “what party?” The one you weren’t invited to, it would seem.

time for bed

Just like our earlier phrase back to school, this one will resonate with the elementary-school scene. Homework’s done, and you’ve got a little latitude to stay up and watch TV. Around 8:40pm or so, though, you start doing a little clock watching. Tick tock. Then, right at the 8:51pm commercial break come those ominous words from the kitchen. “Honey, almost time for bed听… ” The听word time听comes from the Old English tima (“limited space of time”).

Trick your parents into delaying that bedtime by jumping into a discussion over the difference between sometime, sometimes, and some time.

no time

Speaking of time, what happens when you’ve run out of time?听But time for what? To clean the house, to call your parents, to repair your relationship. No time is an easy out, a mindless way of defending no action. Want to turn your sad words into happy ones? There’s time.

alien

An interesting choice, no? We’re not talking Mulder and Scully aliens, though. If someone is referred to as an alien, it means they are a foreigner … and, the implication is that they don’t belong. Since everyone wants to feel like they fit in wherever they might be, the label of听alien can be a hard cross to bear. That’s why the word is considered disparaging and offensive.

Alien听was first recorded in 1300鈥�50 and is ultimately derived from the Latin 补濒颈脓苍耻蝉 (“of or belonging to others”).

almost

This word is tinged with perpetual runner-up status. Almost听is defined as “very nearly, all but.” She almost won the race. He almost scored an A on the test. They almost won the lottery. Alas, if almost is firmly lodged in your vocabulary, you may continuously be one step behind everyone else. There’s always next time, right?听Before the year 1000, you would have used the older version of this word: eal m膩st.

forlorn

There is just nothing good to say about forlorn.听(We’re getting depressed just typing this.) “Desolate or dreary; unhappy or miserable … ” The meaning draws a pretty bleak picture. You’re blue, down in the dumps, woebegone. That’s a听forlorn听feeling, for sure. This word is recorded in English before 1150. It stems from the Middle English forlesen听(“to lose completely”).

bad news

“I’ve got some bad news … ” That’s a phrase鈥攐riginating in the 1910s鈥攖hat is always followed by sadness. “Bad news” can range from a variety of information, but regardless of the severity, the news that is given isn’t going to make your day. If you hear this phrase uttered in your direction, get ready to navigate the upcoming dire straits.

too late

This phrase is generally colored with the brush of regret. “You’re too late, you missed the deadline.” “He was too late, she went with someone else.” “It was too late for an apology.” Or, even worse, “We were too late to stop him.” Whatever the reason, too late means you are missing out on the fun, so pick up the speed!

Late was first听recorded in English before 900. It’s related to the German听lass (“slothful”), the Gothic lats (“slow, lazy”), and the Latin听lassus听(鈥渢颈谤别诲鈥�).

no more ice cream

In the 1680s, it was known as iced cream. Today, it’s ice cream, of course. Either way, if you’ve pried open the lid to the gallon of sitting in your freezer only to find an empty carton staring back, this phrase is one of the worst.

Especially when you’re raiding the fridge at 3 am …