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
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
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
But while his focus may be on the end, Mahashmashana is anything but dour or doleful.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doleful
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 13 May 2025
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
But while his focus may be on the end, Mahashmashana is anything but dour or doleful.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for doleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doleful
Adjective
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The zebras pranced, all frisky energy; the elephants, lumbering and mournful, trailed behind with their ancient thoughts.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Kogonada’s mournful sci-fi drama takes place in a world where people can buy robot children and follows all the sorrow that comes with the arrangement.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As Morgan and Sasha chat it up at Noah’s family’s Purim party, a sad-eyed Esther stands off to the side, quietly watching the interaction.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
24 Oct. 2025
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The footage shows Deiseroth’s demeanor teetering between sad and angry.—
David Goodhue
October 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
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
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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
-
Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth Sunderland vs Everton David Moyes has not been back on the touchline at the Stadium of Light since his unhappy spell in charge of Sunderland ended in relegation in 2017.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee partnered with AES to start a fund to support funeral costs and other expenses for the families of those who died in the devastating blast.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Nov. 2025
-
While a sect of their fandom BRIIZE celebrated the comeback, a more conservative portion protested by sending funeral wreaths to the company headquarters.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Developers are taking an extended break from a slumping San Diego area office market beset by empty space, depressed demand and high construction costs.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Real wages remain depressed and economic growth has stalled.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The family returned home heartbroken and frustrated, with no DNA testing conducted and no indication that the remains—or any other evidence—had been preserved or examined.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
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But the human in me — my heart and my soul — was heartbroken.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Zoning is not meant to be some sort of punishing thing meant to make a city miserable.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
5 Nov. 2025
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But George appeared in just 41 games due to injury, while Embiid played in just 19 games, and the Sixers sagged to a miserable 24-58 finish.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doleful. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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