Tragedy. A tragedy often involves a sad or disastrous event.
Sorrowful tale. This directly conveys that it is a story full of sorrow. For example, many folktales from different cultures are sorrowful tales that talk about the hardships people faced in the past, like losing loved ones, dealing with poverty, or facing unjust situations. These tales are meant to evoke empathy and sometimes also teach moral lessons about how to deal with difficult situations.
Mournful narrative. A narrative which has elements that make the reader or listener feel mournful, much like a sad story does.
Tragic tale. For example, many classic novels are tragic tales that make readers feel sad.
A melancholy narrative. It emphasizes the overall feeling of sadness and gloom in the story. Think of stories that deal with loss and heartbreak, they can be described as a melancholy narrative.
Tragic tale, heart - breaking narrative, melancholy account.
Grief. It directly represents a deep sense of sorrow, often associated with loss, which is a common theme in sad stories.
You could say 'a tragic tale' or 'a sorrowful narrative'.
Melancholy account. Account here implies a story or a description, and melancholy gives it a sad, pensive feeling.
Gloomy story. This is a simple and direct alternative. For instance, a story set in a post - apocalyptic world with no hope left can be called a gloomy story.
My '5 words sad story' is 'Hope, gone, dark, fear, end'. A person had hope, perhaps for a better future or for a relationship. But then it was gone. All they could see was darkness. Fear crept in and they felt like it was the end of everything, as if there was no way out of their misery.
Tale. For example, 'The Little Red Riding Hood' is a well - known tale.