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"sadness" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often melancholy (10 letters).
Definitions
the quality of excessive mournfulness and uncheerfulness
Word origin
From Middle English sadnesse, equivalent to sad + -ness.
Used in a sentence
“But sorrow that is couch'd in seeming gladness Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.”
“The compassion to yourself comes in validating the feelings your inner child is having –– the stress, fear, anger or sadness — and make adult decisions about the best way to move forward, Lev said.”
“She has experienced many sadnesses in her forty years.”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Sorrow”7 letters
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