1
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
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
the visibly doleful players, heartbroken about their loss
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of doleful
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
James, with his doleful countenance, makes the adult Hal vaguely sympathetic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
The song begins with Iommi’s signature doleful blues soloing before kicking into a doomy groove.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for doleful
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
James, with his doleful countenance, makes the adult Hal vaguely sympathetic.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
The song begins with Iommi’s signature doleful blues soloing before kicking into a doomy groove.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for doleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doleful
Adjective
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On the soundtrack, mournful wailing music presents her as a tragic character.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
2 June 2026
-
The pair end the episode romantically riding together with a mournful song playing, which is akin to Dutton-family love-making.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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The other six ascended to the highest office in the land as a result of the dysfunction that has made Peru a punch line in political-science circles, a sad story of ungovernability played on a loop.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
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There’s a one-note quality to the film’s comedy that grows steadily, even deliberately, more abrasive over two hours, but the sad, brash, gradually shrinking bigness of the personalities at its center holds your attention.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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What’s leaving one unhappy child at home compared to sending five hundred people home from the theatre happy?—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Shohei Ohtani almost became the most unhappy pitcher to ever be part of throwing a no-hitter.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Archaeologists excavating an ancient cemetery in Cairo have found a cache of burial objects that could shed new light on funeral practices in one of Egypt‘s most important religious centers.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
1 June 2026
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Wotus coached third base for four games last week while Borg was in the Dominican Republic to attend funeral services for his grandmother.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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One reason Red Sea traffic remains depressed is because ships can bypass it and avoid the security risk altogether by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
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As anxiety has mounted about depressed entry-level hiring, with Gen Z crowds even booing luminaries such as Eric Schmidt amid commencement speeches touting AI, Dimon has given warm but blunt advice to ambitious young workers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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Ali later finds her, a moment that leaves him completely heartbroken, before testing the drugs and confirming they were laced with fentanyl.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Horace leaves Hollywood and a heartbroken but determined Aaron behind.—
Meredith Maran,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The $50 million playland opened in miserable Memorial Day weekend weather, but 12,000 visitors still showed up.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
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Let’s survey the wreckage of another miserable day at the ballpark.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doleful. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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