mourning

noun

mourn·ing | \ ˈmȯr-niŋ

Definition of mourning

1 : the act of sorrowing She is still in mourning for her dead husband.

2a : 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

Examples of mourning in a Sentence

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

President Joko Widodo expressed deep condolences, and the government called for a period of national mourning until Saturday. — Washington Post, "Former Indonesian President Habibie dies at age 83," 12 Sep. 2019 The football community is in mourning after Terrell Roberts, a former defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals, was shot and killed this week. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "Former NFL Player Terrell Roberts Shot and Killed in His Grandmother's Backyard," 12 Sep. 2019 As slender and sharp as a paring knife in his dark navy clothing, Mr. Hiddleston’s lacerating Robert seems to live in a state of existential mourning. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Review: Tom Hiddleston in a Love Triangle Undone by ‘Betrayal’," 5 Sep. 2019 The movie begins with a broader view of this trend, presenting the latest mourning accoutrements being sold at a funeral convention. — Annika Neklason, The Atlantic, "HBO’s New Documentary Asks You to Talk About Death," 20 Aug. 2019 Thousands of El Pasoans were in attendance at the outdoor park; hundreds of candles and phone flashlights created a sea of lights amid the mourning crowd. — Kayla Bartsch, National Review, "In a Community Turned Upside Down by Tragedy, ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Are Everything," 13 Aug. 2019 At a vigil mourning those killed in Dayton, attendees echoed the reluctance to assign fault to the president. — Fortune, "Trump’s America: Where Politics Dictate the Definition of Racism," 6 Aug. 2019 At a vigil mourning those killed in Dayton, attendees echoed that reluctance to assign fault to the president. — Bill Barrow, The Denver Post, "Trump’s America: Where politics dictate “racism” definition," 6 Aug. 2019 His death while running for president came just five years after the nation was thrust into mourning when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by a gunman in Dallas in November 1963. — Fox News, "Death of RFK's granddaughter is latest in string of Kennedy family tragedies," 2 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mourning.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.