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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of doleful
James, with his doleful countenance, makes the adult Hal vaguely sympathetic.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Krauss’s ethereal voice is as haunting as ever on this mournful ballad, where doleful lyrics look back on a time marked by regret and deceit, and get elevated by the elegant interplay between Krauss’ voice and Jerry Douglas’s soul-piercing steel guitar.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 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
In any case, that doleful Something had stirred the group chat up from its latency.
—Literary Hub, 15 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for doleful
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Krauss’s ethereal voice is as haunting as ever on this mournful ballad, where doleful lyrics look back on a time marked by regret and deceit, and get elevated by the elegant interplay between Krauss’ voice and Jerry Douglas’s soul-piercing steel guitar.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 3 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
In any case, that doleful Something had stirred the group chat up from its latency.
—Literary Hub, 15 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for doleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doleful
Adjective
-
Such memories flowed freely this week on social media and in mournful first-person essays.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Newsom shakes his head, seeming more mournful than angry.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There will be keggers, hook-ups, late nights and early mornings, all without shading Greg as a sad old man trying to turn back time.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But none of them can say this, none of them can let their feelings be known, and, instead of a triangle, what ends up happening is three sad lines fallen in on each other, lying in a pile, waiting for someone to come along and prop them back up into a shape.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
-
With price pressures still bubbling in ways that have made consumers unhappy about affordability, economists are closely monitoring the impact of higher energy prices.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Unions, which were unhappy with the prospect of any industry consolidation may give Paramount a hard time and may not want to play ball.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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When Goodspeed failed to repay her, she was forced to take out loans and use credit cards to cover funeral expenses after her relative died.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
An imam was hauled up from his small room adjacent to his small mosque and ordered to get ready to lead the funeral prayers of a very important man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Women who are anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally reactive get labeled as depressed or hormonal.—
Sarah Oreck,
SELF,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Telehealth companies are mailing a Schedule III narcotic to tens of thousands of depressed patients, hailing it as the democratization of mental health.—
Michael Alvear,
STAT,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His family and friends are utterly heartbroken.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Like Sebek, Lincoln-Way co-op senior Zoe Dempsey was heartbroken not to win state in her final attempt.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Alex Caruso relishes making Jokic miserable.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Weegar has had a tough season, with his impact in basically every situation falling off during what’s been a miserable year all around in Calgary.—
Shayna Goldman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doleful. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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