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
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
The hour-long event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world.
—
ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
His face, always stationed somewhere halfway to hangdog, seems to gain 20 new creases carved deep into his skin, accentuating his mournful eyes and his excruciated, heartbroken smile.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Her music choices, mournful and dreamy, also add a sense of significance.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Then, in the Andante movement, the upper strings opened with a glassy sound before the mournful line of the cello entered.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
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ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
His face, always stationed somewhere halfway to hangdog, seems to gain 20 new creases carved deep into his skin, accentuating his mournful eyes and his excruciated, heartbroken smile.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Her music choices, mournful and dreamy, also add a sense of significance.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
Then, in the Andante movement, the upper strings opened with a glassy sound before the mournful line of the cello entered.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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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