Sad
Sad adjective - Feeling unhappiness.
Upsetting is a synonym for sad in tragic topic. In some cases you can use "Upsetting" instead an adjective "Sad", when it comes to topics like unfortunate, lamentable.
Upsetting
Upsetting adjective - Causing worry or anxiety.
Sad is a synonym for upsetting in lamentable topic. Sometimes you can use "Sad" instead an adjective "Upsetting".
Nearby Word: upset
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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While most photos are merely empty, sad, and forlorn, some are vaguely upsetting and others are quite unnerving.
Source: Literature / Ghostly Ruins - Sometimes, the age of a character can be the deciding factor on whether a scenario is "pathetic but funny", "kind of sad", "upsetting", or "gut wrenching."
Source: Age-Appropriate Angst -
Addy was bawling while her parents looked on with barely a trace of emotion, she tells them how upsetting it was to see they didn't look sad and her father told her that it's only because they aren't free to express their emotions and its only on the inside that they're free.
Cite this Source
Upsetting and Sad. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/upsetting
Sad & Upsetting. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/upsetting>.
Upsetting or Sad. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/upsetting.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "sad" and "upsetting" have occurred on timeline