noun General Slang

Sad Sack

/saed saek/ · noun · slang

The hapless, bumbling soldier who can't catch a break — and any luckless screw-up since.

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Definitions

1

Someone gloomy and defeated in demeanor.

“He moped around like a sad sack after the team lost.”
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2

An inept, perpetually unlucky soldier who bungles everything despite good intentions — popularized by a wartime comic strip of the same name.

“Poor sad sack got latrine duty three weeks running.”
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3

Any pitiable, hapless person who seems cursed with bad luck.

“Don't be such a sad sack — the day's not over yet.”
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Sad Sack In A Sentence

Every platoon has its sad sack who trips over his own bootlaces.
She felt like a sad sack after striking out at the interview.
Quit playing the sad sack and ask her to dance.

Origin & Usage

American military slang of the early 1940s, derived from a cruder GI phrase and immortalized by Sergeant George Baker's 'Sad Sack' comic strip in Yank magazine. It crossed into civilian use to mean any hopeless unfortunate.

Variants sad-sack
Tags #1940s#wartime#swing#vintage#military#comics

People Also Ask

What does sad sack mean?

A hapless, unlucky, bumbling person — originally an inept soldier.

Where did sad sack come from?

From 1940s U.S. Army slang, made famous by George Baker's 'Sad Sack' comic strip in the wartime magazine Yank.

Is sad sack offensive?

It's mild and usually affectionate or teasing rather than cruel.

Is it still used?

Yes — it survives as a common term for a gloomy or luckless person.

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