mournful

1 of 2

adjective

mourn·​ful ˈmȯrn-fəl How to pronounce mournful (audio)
Synonyms of mournful
1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
a mournful howl
2
: full of sorrow : sad
a mournful occasion
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournful news
mournfully
ˈmȯrn-fə-lē How to pronounce mournful (audio)
adverb
mournfulness noun

mournfulness

2 of 2

noun

mourn·​ful·​ness
-lnə̇s
plural -es
: the quality or state of being mournful

Synonyms of mournful

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Adjective

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Examples of mournful in a Sentence

Adjective she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 And after Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl died in 2024, dozens of mournful fans gathered to say goodbye to the beloved creature who flew around Manhattan and became a joy to many after someone let him out of his zoo enclosure the previous year. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026 After Flaco the Eurasian eagle-owl died in 2024, dozens of mournful fans gathered to say goodbye to the beloved creature who flew around Manhattan and became a joy to many after someone let him out of his zoo enclosure the previous year. — Joseph B. Frederick, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026 Flaco the owl became a celebrity Central Park resident, with breathless news coverage of Flaco’s impressive self-preservation skills and, eventually, mournful obituaries when Flaco died after flying into a building. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mournful

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mournful was in the 15th century

Rhymes for mournful

See All Rhymes for mournful

Browse Nearby Words

mourners' bench
mournful
mournfulness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mournful

adjective
mourn·​ful ˈmō(ə)rn-fəl How to pronounce mournful (audio)
ˈmȯ(ə)rn-
1
: expressing or full of sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
2
: causing sorrow
a mournful story
mournfully
-fə-lē How to pronounce mournful (audio)
adverb
mournfulness noun
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