Sad sack can be defined as someone who is constantly down, dejected and unhappy. There are various synonyms that can be used instead of this particular phrase, such as miserable, melancholy, woebegone, gloomy, cheerless, crestfallen, forlorn, and disheartened. All these words signify different degrees of sorrow, grief, or dejection. For instance, "miserable" is generally used for someone who is in a much worse state than just being sad. On the other hand, "disheartened" is mostly used for someone who is sad because they have lost hope in something they had put their trust in. These synonyms can help to bring more nuance and variety of expression to your writing, rather than using the same tired cliches.