adjective

nostalgic

/nɑːˈstældʒɪk/ · say it: nah·STAL·jik

longing fondly for the past

In Emotions & Moods

In more detail

1. (adjective) feeling sentimental or wistful about the past, often missing it

2. (adjective) causing or evoking such feelings about the past

Examples

1. She felt nostalgic when she visited her childhood home.
2. That old song is really nostalgic for people who grew up in the 1980s.

How to use nostalgic

Nostalgic describes a sentimental longing for the past, often with a bittersweet quality that mixes pleasure with melancholy. It can describe both the person experiencing the feeling (nostalgic for one's childhood) and something that triggers such feelings (a nostalgic song). The term is often used in cultural contexts like fashion, music, or design that deliberately evoke earlier periods.

Common phrases

feel nostalgic
nostalgic for
nostalgic about
nostalgic mood
nostalgic value
nostalgic appeal

Synonyms

wistful · sentimental · yearning · bittersweet · homesick

Opposites

forward-looking · futuristic

Word family

nostalgia (noun) · nostalgically (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use nostalgic to mean simply 'old' or 'from the past,' but it specifically implies an emotional response of yearning or sentimentality, not just temporal distance.

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