From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwistfulwist‧ful /ˈwɪstfəl/ adjective SAD/UNHAPPYthinking sadly about something you would like to have but cannot have, especially something that you used to have in the past a wistful smile —wistfully adverb ‘That’s the house where I was born, ’ she said wistfully. —wistfulness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
wistful• As we erected the tent Tony became wistful again.• There is something about train travel that prompts a kind of wistful, almost poetic, detachment.• On occasions he seems wistful and quiet but his attitude is definitely and generally antisocial.• Simon's face grew wistful as he thought about his happy student days.• If you look too hard it disappears altogether into a kind of wistful, disappointed light in the night sky.• It is impossible not to be wistful for them, if only in passing.• Then I wandered around for a while, casting wistful glances at my tables.• She was fair and rather birdlike, with brilliant eyes and a small wistful mouth.• "I wish life was always like this, " she said with a wistful sigh.• She looked at them with a wistful smile. ""I wish I could go with you.''• Rosalie Naumann contributed her wistful smile.Origin wistful (1600-1700) wistly “with close attention” ((15-18 centuries)), probably from whist “quiet” ((15-20 centuries)); influenced by wishful 