as in wistful
showing or evoking a longing for an often idealized past
Her grandfather was nostalgic about the 'good old days'. a nostalgic film about the 1960s
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Recent Examples of nostalgic
Corcoran designs greeting cards, prints and notepads in a style that is nostalgic for expatriates, said Crawford, whose mother is an expat.
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Mars King, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2025
That’s because the next outpost of his Carbone empire is opening on Friday, a place that blends Italian nostalgic elegance with the restaurant’s typical modern flair for fun.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
Yeah, and considering how much it’s dialed back on Max Originals, you mostly get hit with the nostalgic HBO static over Max’s beep-boop swell anyways.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
Some families prefer a more-is-more approach to trimming the tree, with decades of nostalgic heirlooms and childhood crafts filling the branches.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nostalgic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nostalgic
wistful
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Salter remains wistful about the family Honus Wagner card currently rattling the world of collectibles.—
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The song doesn’t have an overtly Christmas-y vibe, but late singer Freddie Mercury’s yearning, wistful vocals give it the feeling of sad-eyed holiday nostalgia so familiar from other blue Christmas yuletide classics.—
Cite this Entry
“Nostalgic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nostalgic. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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