1
: the act of sorrowing
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
2
a
: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death
lots of people there, and only one man in full mourning—
Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
b
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses—Henry Reed
Henry ReedExamples of mourning in a Sentence
a day of national mourning
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
The whole town was in mourning.
a period of deep mourning
His widow was dressed in mourning.
Recent Examples on the Web
Why Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Didn't Go to Charles and Camilla's Wedding Ceremony
After eight days of mourning, the late Duke of Edinburgh was laid to rest in a much smaller funeral than previous royal burials.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
One day after the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bodies were recovered from the Patapsco River, leaving families of those missing or presumed dead mourning in the aftermath.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
Still in mourning, family says ‘outcome could have been even worse’
The last fatal attack in Northern California was nearly 30 years ago, in April 1994, when a 40-year-old woman was killed in the Auburn State Recreation Area in El Dorado County.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
One season ends, and there is a mourning period, but each new season brings a clean slate upon which dreams can be projected.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024
The shiva mourning period will then begin at his Bronx home.
—Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2024
Which country observed a national day of mourning this week following a terror attack at one of its concert halls?
6.
—CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Aniline Dye Period dramas set in the high Victorian era often make the same rookie mistake: dressing actors in drab, dun colors, as if the queen’s decades-long dedication to mourning was a society-wide diktat.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
From behind her almost inordinately chic black mourning veil — let no one accuse costume designer Mitchell Travers of failing to understand the assignment — Céline seems to silently blame Alice, who witnessed the fall but was too late to intervene.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
One day after the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, bodies were recovered from the Patapsco River, leaving families of those missing or presumed dead mourning in the aftermath.
—Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2024
Still in mourning, family says ‘outcome could have been even worse’
The last fatal attack in Northern California was nearly 30 years ago, in April 1994, when a 40-year-old woman was killed in the Auburn State Recreation Area in El Dorado County.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024
One season ends, and there is a mourning period, but each new season brings a clean slate upon which dreams can be projected.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2024
The shiva mourning period will then begin at his Bronx home.
—Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 29 Mar. 2024
Which country observed a national day of mourning this week following a terror attack at one of its concert halls?
6.
—CNN, 28 Mar. 2024
Aniline Dye Period dramas set in the high Victorian era often make the same rookie mistake: dressing actors in drab, dun colors, as if the queen’s decades-long dedication to mourning was a society-wide diktat.
—The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024
From behind her almost inordinately chic black mourning veil — let no one accuse costume designer Mitchell Travers of failing to understand the assignment — Céline seems to silently blame Alice, who witnessed the fall but was too late to intervene.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 27 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mourning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mourning
Cite this Entry
“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mourning
noun
mourn·ing
ˈmōr-niŋ 
ˈmȯr-
1
: the act of grieving
2
: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death
to wear mourning
3
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
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