mournful

adjective

mourn·​ful ˈmȯrn-fəl How to pronounce mournful (audio)
1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
2
: full of sorrow : sad
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournfully adverb
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In this context, even a simple boast about wielding a Beretta sounded mournful. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2025 Lit only by a halo-like light overhead, Wayans stares blankly at the screen, smoking a cigar — and breaking down in mournful tears. Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 Over the course of an hour, a virtuosic guitarist, a singer, and three dancers performed a program of mournful music and percussive dance, their faces set in serious frowns—an integral part of the performance. Fiona Mozley, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025 The atmosphere at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona, is anything but mournful. Amanda Castro mandy Taheri peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mournful

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mournful was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

mournful

adjective
mourn·​ful ˈmō(ə)rn-fəl How to pronounce mournful (audio)
ˈmȯ(ə)rn-
1
: expressing or full of sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
2
: causing sorrow
a mournful story
mournfully adverb
mournfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mournful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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