120 Bittersweet Sad Love Quotes: Resonate with Your Soul

Explore the depth of your emotions with our collection of heartfelt sad love quotes. Express your feelings and find solace and comfort in the words of the wise.

Aastha Pahadia
Written by Aastha Pahadia , Certified Relationship Coach
Updated on May 27, 2024 | 03:21 PM IST | 1.2M
Sad Love Quotes
Sad Love Quotes

Love is a complicated web of feelings that may entwine happiness and sadness, passion and heartbreak. Sad love quotes offer lyrical consolation and serve as a gentle reminder that we are not alone in our suffering during those times of grief and desire. Great thinkers, philosophers, and artists have weaved their words into moving tapestries of sorrow and desire, spanning decades to reach the core of our souls. These somber words can transcend individual stories and bring us together in our shared human experience. The sorrowful love quotes provide consolation and serve as a gentle reminder that no one is exempt from the pain of a shattered heart.

They enhance our comprehension of love, grief, and the resiliency of the human spirit. Join us on this enlightening voyage as we delve into the symphony of sad-hearted quotes and find comfort in the gloomy tunes of love's frail dance.

Sad Love Quotes

Sad Quotes About Unrequited Love

Sad Love Quotes

1. “I realized that one might love him secretly with no hope of encouragement, which can be very enjoyable for the young or inexperienced.” — Barbara Pym, Excellent Women

2. “But that afternoon he asked himself, with his infinite capacity for illusion, if such pitiless indifference might not be a subterfuge for hiding the torments of love.” — Gabriel García Márquez

3. “Let no one who loves be called unhappy. Even love unreturned has its rainbow.” — James Matthew Barrie

4. “It's delicious to have people adore you, but it's exhausting, too. Particularly when your own feelings don't match theirs.” — Tasha Alexander, A Fatal Waltz

5. “Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” — Washington Irving

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6. “A mighty pain to love it is, and 'tis a pain that pain to miss; But of all pains, the greatest pain, it is to love, but love in vain.” — Abraham Cowley

7. “I never knew until that moment how bad it could hurt to lose something you never really had.” — from the TV series The Wonder Years

8. “If only the strength of the love that people feel when it is reciprocated could be as intense and obsessive as the love we feel when it is not, then marriages would be truly made in heaven.” — Ben Elton, Stark

9. “Every broken heart has screamed at one time or another: ‘Why can't you see who I truly am?’" — Shannon L. Alder

10. “When unrequited love is the most expensive thing on the menu, sometimes you settle for the daily special.” — Miranda Kenneally, Catching Jordan

11. “Unrequited love is a ridiculous state, and it makes those in it behave ridiculously.” — Cassandra Clare

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12. “One is never too old to yearn.” — Italian Proverb

13. “Unrequited love is the infinite curse of a lonely heart.” — Christina Westover

14. “Self-love seems so often unrequited!” — Anthony Powel

15. “Love, unrequited, robs me of my rest:

Love, hopeless love, my ardent soul encumbers:

Love, nightmare-like, lies heavy on my chest,

And weaves itself into my midnight slumbers!” — William S. Gilbert

16. “I hold it true, whate'er befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.” — Alfred Lord Tennyson

17. “Loving can cost a lot but not loving always costs more, and those who fear to love often find that want of love is an emptiness that robs the joy from life.” — Merle Shan

18. “You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.” — Anonymous

19. “In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.” — Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

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20. “I have so much in me, and the feeling for her absorbs it all; I have so much, and without her it all comes to nothing. — Goethe, Sorrows of Young Werther

Short Sad Love Quotes That Will Make You Cry

Sad Love Quotes

21. “Breathing is hard. When you cry so much, it makes you realize that breathing is hard.” — David Levithan
22. “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.’" — John Greenleaf Whittier

23. “Sadness is but a wall between two gardens.” — Khalil Gibran

24. “He taught me how to love, but not how to stop.” — Anonymous

25. “It hurts to leave a light on for nobody.” — Graham Foust

26. “Tears come from the heart and not from the brain.” — Leonardo da Vinci

27. “The walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keep out the joy.” — Jim Rohn

28. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” — Anonymous

29. “I wonder if I could take back every ‘I love you’ ever said to you, would I do it?” — Faraaz Kazi

30. “There is a time for departure, even when there’s no certain place to go.” — Tennessee Williams

31. “When you think you’re first falling in love, just then you realize you’re falling out of love.” — David Grayson

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32. “There is one pain, I often feel, which you will never know. It’s caused by the absence of you.” — Ashleigh Brilliant

33. “It’s amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.” — Ella Harper

34. “It is sad not to love, but it is much sadder not to be able to love.” — Miguel de Unamuno

Sad Love Quotes for Him That Will Leave You Feeling Empathetic

Sad Love Quotes

35. "I miss you in ways that not even words can understand." — Gemma Troy

36. “How strange to dream of you even when I am wide awake.” — David Jones, Love As The Stars Went Out

37. “The world is very quiet without you around.” — Lemony Snicket

38. “When we miss someone, often, what we really miss is the part of us that with this someone awakens.” — Luigina Sgarro

39. “In case you ever foolishly forget: I am never not thinking of you.” — Virginia Woolf

40. “You’re everywhere except right here and it hurts.” — Rupi Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers

41. “I keep myself busy with the things I do, but every time I pause, I still think of you.” — Cecelia Ahern

42. “If you never left again, I would still spend the rest of my life missing you.” — Tessa Bailey, Too Hot to Handle

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43. “Poets use countless words to describe their pain, but I only need three: I miss you.” — Caroline George, Dearest Josephine

44. “Listen to the sunset; see its pretty hue. When you see it, think of me, and I’ll think of you.” — Oksana Rus

45. "Whenever I miss you, I look at my heart. Because it’s the only place I can find you." — Anonymous 

Powerful Sad Quotes About Love That Describe the Pain of a Broken Heart

Sad Love Quotes

 46. “If we must part forever, Give me but one kind word to think upon, And please myself with, while my heart’s breaking.” — Thomas Otway

47. “Sad things happen. They do. But we don’t need to live sad forever.” — Mattie Stepanek

48. “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” — Stephen Chbosky

49. “I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.” — Robin Williams

50. “You make me feel like a firefly. Trapped in a bell jar; starved for love.” ? Ayushee Ghoshal

51.  “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” ? Samuel Butler

52.  “Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” — Kahlil Gibran

53. “He was acting like our kiss had broken him, and his reaction was breaking me.” ? Shannon A. Thompson

54. “Love lies in those unsent drafts in your mailbox. Sometimes you wonder whether things would have been different if you’d clicked ‘Send’.” — Faraaz Kazi

Beautiful Missing You Quotes That Will Tug at Your Heartstrings

Sad Love Quotes

55. “I think you are wrong to want a heart. It makes most people unhappy. If you only knew it, you are in luck not to have a heart.” — L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

56. “You can’t buy love, but you can pay heavily for it.” — Henny Youngman

57. “You will never know true happiness until you have truly loved, and you will never understand what pain really is until you have lost it.” — Unknown

58. “I miss your voice because it is a symphony; your scent because it is a treasure; your smile because it is a jewel; your hug because it is a masterpiece; and your kiss because it is a miracle.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

59. “When you are not at hand to kiss away my fears, I cannot choose but be wretched.” — Byron Caldwell Smith

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60. “Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age.” — John Dryden

61. “Missing someone and not being able to see them is the worst feeling ever.” — Nathanael Richmond

62."For when the cold winds blow, I will close my eyes calmly, knowing I am anchored to you." — Tyler Knott Gregson

63. "You know someone is very special to you when days just don’t seem right without them." — John Cena

64. "Life is so short, so fast the lone hours fly, we ought to be together, you and I." — Henry Alford

65. "I miss you deeply, unfathomably, senselessly, terribly." — Franz Kafka

66. “Missing someone enlightens how the person means to you and broadens the feelings shared.” — Unarine Ramaru

67. “I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul.” — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

68. “I won't ever leave you, even though you're always leaving me.” — Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife

Heartbreaking Sad Sayings About Love That Will Make You Feel Every Emotion

Sad Love Quotes

69.  "You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath." — Taylor Swift

70. "The shattering of a heart when being broken is the loudest quiet ever." — Carroll Bryant

71. "Maybe true love isn't out there for me, but I can sublimate my loneliness with the notion that true love is out there for someone." — Roxane Gay

 72. "I know my heart will never be the same, but I'm telling myself I'll be okay.” ? Sara Evans

73. "I got my heart's desire, and there my troubles began.” ? Lev Grossman

74. "I'm so scared of dying without ever being really seen. Can you understand?” ? David Foster Wallace

75. "Maybe we tried to leave as much memories of ourselves with each other because we knew one day we wouldn't be together anymore.” ? Makoto Shinkai

76. "The dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: you can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream.” — Nora Ephron

77. "You cannot convince people to love you. This is an absolute rule. No one will ever give you love because you want him or her to give it. Real love moves freely in both directions. Don’t waste your time on anything else.” — Cheryl Strayed

78. "The scariest thing about distance is you don't know if they'll miss you or forget about you." — Nicholas Sparks

79. “'You see,' she concluded miserably, 'when I can call like that to him across space — I belong to him. He doesn't love me — he never will — but I belong to him.'” ? L.M. Montgomery

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80. "Every intimacy carries secreted somewhere below its initial lovely surfaces, the ever-coiled makings of complete catastrophe.” ? Elizabeth Gilbert

Hurt Quotes About Love to Help You Heal from Heartbreak

Sad Love Quotes

81. “Our greatest joy and our greatest pain come in our relationships with others.” — Stephen R. Covey

82. “Relationships are like glass. Sometimes it’s better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together.” — Unknown

83. “You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.” — Jonathan Safran Foer

84. “Some people are going to leave, but that’s not the end of your story. That’s the end of their part in your story.” — Faraaz Kazi

85. “Since I can’t be with you right now I will have to be content just dreaming about when we will be together again.” — Susan Polis Schutz

86. “Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

87. “Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love.” — Charlie Brown

88. “It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.” — George Eliot

89. “Falling in love is like holding a candle. Initially it lightens up the world around you. Then it starts melting and hurts you. Finally it goes off and everything is darker than ever and all you are left with is the…BURN!” — Syed Arshad

90. “Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of withering, of tarnishing.” — Anaïs Nin

Depressed Quotes About Love That Will Make You Feel Less Alone

Sad Love Quotes

91. "Love is the hardest habit to break, and the most difficult to satisfy." — Drew Barrymore

92. "I will never regret you or say I wish I’d never met you. Because once upon a time you were exactly what I needed.” — Bob Marley

93. "Even being alone — it's better than being with a lover and feeling lonely." — Before Sunset

94. "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky—but why, why, why can't it be, oh can't it be mine?" — Pearl Jam

95. "Perhaps someday I’ll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But not as long as I can make stories out of my heartbreak, beauty out of sorrow." — Sylvia Plath

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96. "I’d rather love a million times and have my heart broken every time, than hold a permanently empty heart forever." — H.C. Paye

97. "That's all you can do in this world, no matter how strong the current beats against you, or how heavy your burden, or how tragic your love story. You keep going.” ? Robyn Schneider

98.  "We are all so much together, but we are all dying of loneliness.” ? Albert Schweitzer

99. "Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so." — Ray Stannard Baker

Inspiring Sad Quotes About Life That Will Help You Through Your Heartbreak

Sad Love Quotes

100. “Everything that you love, you will eventually lose. But in the end, love will return in a different form.” — Susan Cain

101. “First, accept sadness. Realize that without losing, winning isn’t so great.” — Alyssa Milano

102. “We’re taught to be ashamed of confusion, anger, fear, and sadness, and to me, they’re of equal value to happiness, excitement, and inspiration.” — Alanis Morrisette

103. “It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

104. “Experiencing sadness and anger can make you feel more creative, and by being creative you can get beyond your pain or negativity.” — Yoko Ono

105. “Some days are just bad days, that’s all. You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that’s just the way it is!” — Dita Von Teese

106. “Every human walks around with a certain kind of sadness. They may not wear it on their sleeves, but it’s there if you look deep.” — Taraji P. Henson

107. “If we could honor sadness a little more, maybe we could see it—rather than enforced smiles and righteous outrage—as the bridge we need to connect with each other. We could remember that no matter how distasteful we might find someone’s opinions, no matter how radiant, or fierce, someone may appear, they have suffered, or they will.” - Susan Cain

108. "Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel." — Tupac Shakur

109. "As your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won't forget how you made them feel." — Kevin Heath

110. "The word 'happy' would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." — Carl Jung

Sad Quotes About Relationship: The Pain of Love

Sad Love Quotes

111. "He nods, as if to acknowledge that endings are almost always a little sad, even when there is something to look forward to on the other side.” — Emily Giffin

112. "Women explore for eternity in the vast garden of sacrifice." — Before Midnight

113. "Failed relationships can be described as so much wasted make-up.” ? Marian Keyes

114.  "Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact." — Martha Beck

115. "When we face pain in relationships our first response is often to sever bonds rather than to maintain commitment.” ? Bell Hooks

116. "There are many ways of breaking a heart. Stories were full of hearts broken by love, but what really broke a heart was taking away its dream—whatever that dream might be.” — Pearl S. Buck

117. "I know I am but summer to your heart, and not the full four seasons of the year.” ? Edna St. Vincent Millay

118. "Loss alone is but the wounding of a heart; it is memory that makes it our ruin.” — Brian Ruckley

119. "This is a good sign, having a broken heart. It means we have tried for something." — Elizabeth Gilbert

120. "Real relationships are the product of time spent, which is why so many of us have so few of them.” ? Craig D. Lounsbrough

Conclusion

Sad love quotes offer solace to broken hearts, reminding us that love is not always a blissful journey but rather a tapestry woven with threads of melancholy. They speak to the universal experiences of heartbreak, longing, and unfulfilled desires, transcending time, culture, and individual circumstances. These sayings serve as an appropriate indication that love is a powerful force that has the power to drastically change our lives. They also serve as a gentle invitation to embrace the bittersweet melody of love, with all of its joys and tragedies, and to take comfort in knowing that we are not traveling this path alone. They act as rays of hope, serving as a constant reminder that love, despite its misery, can heal, change, and finally free us.

 

ALSO READ: Top 111 Love Hurt Quotes to Ease Your Pain

100+ Emotional Missing You Quotes For Those You Love And Miss

FAQs

Why do we have sadness in love?
Love is a complicated and diverse feeling; hence sadness is a natural effect of love. When we put our feelings, desires, and hope in someone, we open ourselves up to the chance of heartbreak or grief.

What is a sad love?
A romantic connection or encounter that evokes an intense sensation of sadness or melancholy is referred to as sad love. It often represents unrequited love, sadness, loss, or desire.

Is it normal for love to make you sad?
Yes, feeling sadness when in love is quite natural. Love is a powerful and keen emotion that can trigger plenty of emotions, such as happiness, excitement, passion, and occasionally sadness. Love makes us vulnerable, and when our hopes or wants aren't fulfilled, it can be depressing or painful. It's critical to keep in mind that feeling grief in love is common to the human experience.

Why is falling in love so emotional?
Being in love is a highly emotional experience. We feel a burst of happiness, excitement, uneasiness, and sometimes even terror when we fall in love because our feelings are amplified.

What does real love feel like?
Real love encompasses a range of emotions, including joy, contentment, trust, and even occasional sadness or frustration. Real love is a profound and enduring emotion that goes beyond superficial attraction or infatuation. It may be identified by a strong sense of connection, comprehension, and acceptance of another person.

What does soulmate love feel like?
Soulmate love is often described as an intense and profound connection between two individuals. It goes beyond physical attraction or compatibility and is characterized by a deep sense of recognition, understanding, and harmony. Soulmate love feels like a natural fit as if two puzzle pieces have finally found their missing piece.

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About The Author
Aastha Pahadia
Aastha Pahadia
Certified Relationship Coach

Aastha is a certified Relationship coach and she strives to help those who seek expert advice on relationships.

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