mourning

1 of 2

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmȯr-niŋ 

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

b

: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown

… after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses.

—Henry Reed

mourning

2 of 2

present participle of mourn

Examples of mourning in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

The band’s ninth album reflects on life, death and grief in a journey of mourning that was deeply personal for Gorillaz co-creators Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, who lost their fathers within 10 days of each other. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

So, her lovely black taffeta mourning overdress is beautiful. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

That album represented a turn toward joy after the mourning that defined Japanese Breakfast’s earlier work, with Zauner finding room for hope without pretending the loss had disappeared. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 17 Sep. 2026

Love of Your Life transforms into a mourning vacation, as Maya leaves her new family behind to drink, eat and f*ck her way through years of her life, doing telehealth to pay the bills. — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mourning

• go into mourning
• mourning cloak
• mourning dove

Rhymes for mourning

• corning
• horning
• morning
• scorning
• warning
• adorning
• forewarning
• midmorning

Kids 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