We may have known someone in our life that we considered to be sad, but also incredibly beautiful. However, we may not have been aware of a proper term that we can refer to this person as, like melancholic. Therefore, this article will be exploring appropriate alternatives we can use.
What Words Can Describe Being Sad And Beautiful At The Same Time?
This article will be taking an in-depth look at useful terms to describe someone that we consider to be sad and beautiful at the same time. The particular terms that we will be going over are:
- A Melancholic Beauty
- A Wistful Beauty
- A Poignant Beauty
- An Enigmatic Beauty
- A Forlorn Beauty
- A Solemn Beauty
- A Tristesse Beauty
- A Pathos Beauty
- Hauntingly Beautiful
- An Anguished Beauty
The preferred version that we will look at is “a melancholic beauty”. This is because describing someone as a “melancholic beauty” is the best way to express that we find someone to be both beautiful and yet, sad in appearance.
A Melancholic Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “melancholic” as expressing feelings of sadness. Therefore, we considered “a melancholic beauty” to be someone who is very beautiful but is also obviously quite sad or depressed. We often relate the term “melancholy” to a sense of serenity and beauty in the face of sadness.
Here are a few examples of this term used in a sentence:
- She was a known melancholic beauty; incredibly enchanting, yet undeniably sad.
- After my grandfather passed, my grandma was known as a melancholic beauty. She was incredibly stunning, even in old age, yet her heart was broken.
- A melancholic beauty is someone who despite seemingly having it all, is hurting immensely.
A Wistful Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “wistful” as sad and thinking about something impossible or in the past. Therefore, when we describe someone as “a wistful beauty”, we are meaning to say that they are an immensely beautiful person, that is hurting, perhaps because of a yearning for a past relationship.
To help showcase the proper use of this term, here are some examples:
- She was a wistful beauty, that was seemingly hung up on her past relationship, despite the fact that he had moved on.
- Despite being a man, he had the appearance of a fashion model, but in a way that carried tremendous wistful beauty.
- The actress was known amongst her peers as a wistful beauty, longing for her long-lost passed-on husband.
A Poignant Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “poignant” as causing or having a very sharp feeling of sadness. Because of this, when we’re expressing that we think someone is “a poignant beauty”, we’re saying that regardless of finding them physically attractive, their appearance also causes feelings of pity or sadness.
To further highlight the use of this particular statement, we’ll go over a few examples:
- The portrait carried immense poignant beauty, depicting a woman who clearly longed for so much more out of life.
- The runway model was known for her stunning catwalk and her poignant beauty. She often caused the audience to be awestruck, yet seemingly upset or saddened.
- She was a poignant beauty, but her presence brought instantaneous sadness to her peers.
An Enigmatic Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “enigmatic” as mysterious and impossible to understand completely. Therefore, when we say that someone is “an enigmatic beauty”, we often mean to express that they are perplexing, causing confusion that leaves us feeling unsettled or upset.
We will now go over some examples of how to appropriately use this term:
- He was so kind, but an enigmatic beauty. He was overly confusing and the relationship left me feeling incredibly sad.
- The painting was done of a woman who was a known enigmatic beauty. Her appearance stunned and bewildered all who saw her.
- The actress was an enigmatic beauty. She was stunning at her craft but left audiences feeling mystified and sometimes mildly upset.
A Forlorn Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “forlorn” as alone and unhappy or left alone and uncared for. Therefore, we often describe someone as “a forlorn beauty” when they are aesthetically gorgeous, yet it’s clear that they have experienced tremendous pain. This is often someone with who we will sympathize.
Here are a few examples that showcase the use of this term:
- The song was about a forlorn beauty. It described the story of a woman who had been through so much, that she could no longer feel love.
- She was a known forlorn beauty, that often turned all gentleman suitors away. She was very fearful of love and getting hurt again.
- Despite being quite manly, he carried the image of a forlorn beauty. Someone who had clearly carried immense pain on such broad shoulders.
A Solemn Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “solemn” as being serious or without any humour”. When we say that someone is “a solemn beauty”, we’re often meaning to describe someone who is incredibly serious. Despite being very stunning, this is generally someone who goes with smiling, laughing, or showcasing any happiness.
To help clarify how we can use this term, we will go over a few examples:
- He was a very handsome man, but women often described him as a solemn beauty. He was not known to smile or laugh while on dates.
- The model carried the appearance of a solemn beauty, which is often seen on high-end runway models.
- The portrait was immaculate and depicted a solemn beauty; a woman that was quite literally painted with a frown.
A Tristesse Beauty
“Tristesse” is a known French word for sadness. Therefore, when we describe someone as “a tristesse beauty”, we are meaning to say that despite their outer beauty, they are very bothered or upset. Someone who is “a tristesse beauty” is often thought to be mournful or going through tremendous loss.
For additional information on this unique term, here are some examples of its use in a sentence:
- The French model was a known tristesse beauty in the community. Her face was stunning but carried immense sorrow.
- She was a tristesse beauty who, despite seemingly having a good life, was very depressed.
- My grandmother was known by her friends as a tristesse beauty after my grandfather passed away. She never loved again and was seemingly lonely.
A Pathos Beauty
Cambridge Dictionary defines “pathos” as the power of a person, situation, piece of writing, or work of art to cause feelings of sadness, especially because people feel sympathy. Therefore, “a pathos beauty” is someone stunning, but often evokes a feeling of pity or sadness.
Some examples of sentences using this term are:
- The poem was a pathos beauty of written artwork. It evoked a feeling of warmth and sadness all at the same time.
- She was a pathos beauty, that everyone truly cared for, but also immensely sympathized with.
- The Mona Lisa may be one of the most renowned paintings in the world, yet folks often feel conflicted when looking at her – almost sad.
Hauntingly Beautiful
We often consider something or someone that is “hauntingly beautiful”, we’re meaning to express that their beauty takes on a special meaning in our minds and often causes a physical reaction. This is not your average beautiful person, generally causing others to be taken back or stunned.
This person’s beauty causes us to get chills, stomach aches, our heart races, or perhaps we tear up. However, we want to see this beauty again.
To further explain the use of this particular term, here are a few examples:
- The song was hauntingly beautiful, evoking a feeling of sadness, yet I wanted to listen to it on repeat.
- The model was hauntingly beautiful, yet the audience couldn’t take their eyes off of her.
- She was so hauntingly beautiful that she made me feel nervous and I shed a tear in her presence.
An Anguished Beauty
The last alternative we will go over is “an anguished beauty”. Cambridge Dictionary defines “anguished” as someone having or showing extreme physical or mental suffering. Therefore, we often refer to someone as “an anguished beauty” when they are someone who has been through immense abuse or trauma.
For our last examples, we will go over the use of this term:
- She was an anguished beauty after coming out of her last relationship. She wouldn’t talk about it much.
- The photo showcased an anguished beauty; someone who was facing tremendous pain.
- My mother is an anguished beauty. She went through a lot in her marriage with my father and it left her feeling worthless for years.
What Does It Mean To Be Sad And Beautiful At The Same Time?
When we consider someone to be “sad and beautiful” we mean to express that while they are very physically attractive or stunning, they carry immense sadness. This sadness is often so overwhelming, that it is plain to see from an outside perspective.
What’s An Example Of Something That Is Sad And Beautiful At The Same Time?
An example of something that is sad and beautiful at the same time is the famous painting, the Mona Lisa. This painting is immensely beautiful, yet often evokes feelings of sadness in audiences. She’s considered to be mysterious in the sense that no is aware if she’s happy, lonely, etc.
Similarly, famous runway models are known to walk the catwalk with very stoic expressions. While gorgeous, they can sometimes allude to feelings of sadness or loneliness.