1 C1 informal
To become sad or cause sadness, often used for ironic or humorous effect.
"She saddened up when she heard the old song; it brought back too many memories."
separable
sadden up
C1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
A rare informal expression meaning to become sad or to cause someone to feel sad.
In plain English
To start feeling sad, or to make someone feel sad.
What does "sadden up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To up the sadness — fairly transparent but non-standard.
Actually means
To start feeling sad, or to make someone feel sad.
Usage tip
Extremely rare. Not standard in any major variety of English. Likely used for emphatic or humorous effect. Learners should not expect to encounter or need this phrase frequently.
Words that pair with "sadden up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
news story memory thought
How to conjugate "sadden up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
sadden up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
saddens up
he/she/it
Past simple
saddened up
yesterday
Past participle
saddened up
have + pp
-ing form
saddening up
continuous
Hear "sadden up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "sadden up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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