sadden up
C1 informal separable both
In simple words
To start feeling sad, or to make someone feel sad.
Literal meaning: To up the sadness — fairly transparent but non-standard.
Meanings
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."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
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.
Commonly used with
news story memory thought
Forms
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
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