mourn

verb

ˈmȯrn 

mourned; mourning; mourns

intransitive verb

1

: to feel or express grief or sorrow

When he dies, people throughout the world will mourn.

—often used with for

thousands mourned for him

2

: to show the customary signs of grief for a death

especially : to wear mourning

mourned for thirty days in black clothes

3

: to murmur mournfully

—used especially of doves

transitive verb

1

: to feel or express grief or sorrow for

mourned the death of his son

mourning the loss of their youth

2

: to utter mournfully

… let the whirlwind mourn its requiem!

—W. S. Gilbert

mourner noun

mourningly

ˈmȯr-niŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of mourn

• grieve

Examples of mourn in a Sentence

She is still mourning her husband, who died last year.

Thousands of people mourned his death.

She was mourned by everyone who knew her.

She mourned the loss of her youth.

He still mourns the fact that he never went to college.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Indianapolis Colts are mourning the loss of former standout player Randy McMillan, who died at age 67. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 10 Jan. 2026

One night after a federal agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, hundreds gathered in Monument Circle both to mourn her death and to call for an end to the presidential administration's aggressive anti-immigration tactics. —Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 9 Jan. 2026

In Minneapolis, hundreds marched the streets on Wednesday to mourn the loss of Good. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026

Candace Nelson, who started the company in 2005 and sold it to a private equity firm in 2012, took to TikTok to mourn the loss of her beloved cupcake legacy. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English murnan; akin to Old High German mornēn to mourn, Greek mermēra care — more at memory

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for mourn

• borne
• bourn
• bourne
• corn
• morn
• porn
• scorn
• shorn
• sworn
• thorn
• torn
• warn

Kids Definition

mourn

verb

ˈmō(ə)rn 

ˈmȯ(ə)rn

1

: to feel or show grief or sorrow especially over someone's death

2

: to display the customary signs of grief for a death especially by wearing mourning

mourner noun