tristeza

See also: tristêza

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese tristeza (“sadness”), referring to the devastation it caused in South America in the 1930s.

Noun

tristeza (uncountable)

1. A damaging viral disease of citrus plants, caused by Closterovirus.

Galician

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin trīstis

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -iader.

Latin -itia

Latin trīstitia

Old Galician-Portuguese tristeza

Galician tristeza

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese tristeza, from Latin trīstitia.

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /tɾisˈteθa/ [t̪ɾis̺ˈt̪e.θɐ]

• IPA^(key): (standard) /tɾisˈteθa/ [t̪ɾis̺ˈt̪e.θɐ]
• IPA^(key): (seseo) /tɾisˈtesa/ [t̪ɾisˈt̪e.sɐ]

 

• Rhymes: -eθa

• (standard) Rhymes: -eθa
• (seseo) Rhymes: -esa

• Hyphenation: tris‧te‧za

Noun

tristeza f (plural tristezas)

1. sadness
2. melancholy

   Synonym: melancolía

Related terms

• triste
• tristeiro

Further reading

• “tristeza”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026
• “tristeza”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• tristêza (superseded)

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese tristeza, from Latin trīstitia. By surface analysis, triste +‎ -eza.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /tɾisˈte.zɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /tɾisˈte.zɐ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /tɾiʃˈte.zɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /tɾiʃˈte.zɐ/

• Audio (Brazil (Caipira)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: tris‧te‧za

Noun

tristeza f (plural tristezas)

1. (uncountable) sadness (state or emotion of being sad)

   Synonyms: abatimento, depressão, desânimo, melancolia

   Antonyms: alegria, contentamento, felicidade, júbilo, prazer, regozijo, satisfação

   • 1958, “A Felicidade”, performed by Antônio Carlos Jobim:

     Tristeza não tem fim / Felicidade, sim

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. sadness (event causing sadness)

   Synonyms: aborrecimento, desgosto, entristecimento, mágoa

3. tristeza (plant disease)

Related terms

• entristecedor
• entristecente
• entristecer
• entristecidamente
• entristecido
• entristecimento
• triste
• tristonho

Further reading

• “tristeza”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “tristeza” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “tristeza”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2026, →ISBN
• “tristeza”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Etymology

From triste +‎ -eza or from Latin trīstitia (“sadness”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɾisˈteθa/ [t̪ɾisˈt̪e.θa] (Spain, Equatorial Guinea)
• IPA^(key): /tɾisˈtesa/ [t̪ɾisˈt̪e.sa] (Latin America, Philippines)

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eθa (Spain, Equatorial Guinea)
• Rhymes: -esa (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: tris‧te‧za

Noun

tristeza f (plural tristezas)

1. sadness, gloom, sorrow, gloominess, unhappiness, misery
2. tristeza (plant disease)

Related terms

• triste (adjective)

Further reading

• “tristeza”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025