Vocabulary in context
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Nostalgic
Longing for the past; feeling sentimental about things that happened earlier, often with a hint of sadness.
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Imagine This
An old grandmother sits in her rocking chair on the front porch and wonders how her life would have been if there had never been a tragic plane crash that killed all her relatives.
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Sounds Like
noh-STAL-jik
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Looks Like
nostalgia (similar root and spelling)
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Remember This
Nostalgic describes a feeling or mood; the noun form is nostalgia. The root idea is longing for a past time, not just fond memory.
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Other Forms
nostalgianoun
nostalgicallyadverb
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Connect With
nostalgia, reminiscence, wistfulness, sentimental, longing
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Note
Nostalgic does not mean the present is bad; it often implies sentimental longing with mixed emotions. Be careful not to use it to describe a simple fond memory without wistfulness.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- She felt nostalgic as she flipped through the pages of her childhood photo album.
- The movie's setting and soundtrack gave many viewers a nostalgic sense of summers long past.
Synonyms
wistfulsentimentalreminiscentlongingyearning
Antonyms
moderncontemporaryforward-looking
Etymology
From Greek nostos 'return home' and algos 'pain', via Latin/French development; the adjective nostalgic derives from the noun nostalgia.
Mnemonic
NOSTALGIC: Nostos (return home) + -algia (pain) — the pain of returning home in memory; think 'nostalgia' as longing for a past home.
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Lucrative
adjectiveProducing wealth; financially rewarding; yielding a great deal of profit.
Inadequate
adjectiveLacking the necessary quality, quantity, or ability to meet a purpose; not sufficient or suitable.
Finesse
noun and verbNoun: refined skill, tact, or diplomacy in handling a situation; Verb: to handle or achieve something with such skill or by clever, delicate maneuvering.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Reminiscence
nounA personal memory or the act of recalling past experiences, often with nostalgia.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.
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