1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
2
: full of sorrow : sad
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournfulness
noun
Examples of mournful in a Sentence
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
Similarly, the discreetly mournful compositions of Giorgio Matteo and Aki Oliviero’s score hover politely on the periphery of the (in)action, careful not to intrude.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth following the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Ortega’s deadpan remains impeccable and her mournful gaze allows for viewer projection that goes beyond anything on the page, but Wednesday too often comes across as a piece of an ensemble at this point.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
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Jessica Kiang, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
His narration is a constant pleasure — mournful, wry, and suffused with a world-weary poetry.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
The backstory for the maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth following the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Ortega’s deadpan remains impeccable and her mournful gaze allows for viewer projection that goes beyond anything on the page, but Wednesday too often comes across as a piece of an ensemble at this point.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mournful
adjective
mourn·ful
ˈmō(ə)rn-fəl 
ˈmȯ(ə)rn-
1
: expressing or full of sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
2
: causing sorrow
a mournful story
mournfulness
noun
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