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.
Very few directors working today can put across a movie like Gladiator II as convincingly, which perhaps explains why the sequel — for all its barbaric violence and the plaintive, at times stirring, discussions about justice and democracy — doesn’t have the mournful quality that the first film did. Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024 Russell Crowe beating people to death in a soulful, mournful way? Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 20 Nov. 2024 His body battled against gravity—its mournful advance up each step found an echo in the lightning recoil that shot through his face and shoulders. Kayla Aletha Welch, Longreads, 19 Nov. 2024 That undoubtedly contributes to the mournful feeling that has enveloped Númenor, which is still dealing with the death of King Tar-Palantir and the fallout of Mount Doom’s eruption, including Míriel’s loss of sight. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near mournful

Cite this Entry

“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

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

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