DOLEFUL Synonyms: 202 Similar and Opposite Words

doleful

adjective

ˈdōl-fəl

Definition of doleful

as in mournful

expressing or suggesting mourning a doleful expression on their faces as they said good-bye to the friends they had made over the summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sad

feeling unhappiness the visibly doleful players, heartbroken about their loss

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of doleful The Canadian filmmaker Sophy Romvari does something similar with the new movie Blue Heron, a semi-autobiographical piece whose structure loops in on itself, melding fact and fiction into a doleful portrait of a family tragedy. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 Black Hills bucket-listing aside, time here is best spent tubing and fishing on the river, luxuriating in the infrared sauna, or listening to a doleful coyote song under a blanket of stars. — Ashlea Halpern, Time, 12 Mar. 2026 His doleful father, portrayed by Paul Dooley in a magically right match of performer and material, despairs for his blithely romantic son’s future. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2025 Her Night Moves may have been a thriller, though its focus was less the act of environmental sabotage that its characters carried out than its doleful aftermath. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for doleful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for doleful

Adjective

The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.

— Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of mournful

Adjective

State Drive, an ugly black roadway, separates the Science Center and its new addition from the park’s Rose Garden, and serves as a sad connector to the rest of the park.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
As more details came out, the sad truth of Perry’s relapses and drug hustle emerged.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of sad

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Adjective

Many of the women in the packed courtroom gallery appeared unhappy when the sentences were rendered.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
Andy’s view Almost 14 years into Xi Jinping’s norm-busting reign, just about everybody is unhappy with his economy.

— Andy Browne, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of unhappy

Adjective

The broadcaster reported that more than a hundred people had gathered in and around the church for a funeral procession.

— Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Talking about wills, medical wishes, funeral arrangements or who will handle the finances if a parent becomes incapacitated can feel intrusive, particularly when a parent is still healthy and independent.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of funeral

Adjective

Celebrated as masterpieces today, at the time they were regarded as the unpolished works of a depressed, crazy man and commercially worthless.

— Joan Martelli, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
In the event of a severe winter or import bottlenecks, depressed storage levels not only narrow Europe's capacity to absorb supply shocks but also risk driving natural gas prices higher.

— , CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of depressed

Adjective

The woman never brought Melissa back, leaving a heartbroken Apantenco wondering what had become of her baby.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Mike Sweeney’s tutor Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney was heartbroken to learn of Benzinger’s passing.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of heartbroken

Adjective

Happy peasants, miserable millionaires Graham first spotted the pattern in China.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
That and the two uniquely miserable Atlanta seasons under Morris’ guidance would normally be enough to gin up some bad feelings among the masses.

— Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

doled out

doleful

dolefully

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“Doleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doleful. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of doleful

adjective

Example Sentences

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