1
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits
with the resigned dolefulness of an athlete who knows his playing days are over, he cleared out his locker for the last time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
a period of dolefulness that seemed to last forever for the widower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolefulness
Noun
-
His profound sadness and rage give the audience permission to feel similarly.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
15 June 2026 -
The Spurs accrued a 10-point lead at that point, blitzing the Knicks with the type of pressure expected from a team that was a loss away from an offseason filled with sadness.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Edgerton captures the essence of sorrow like lightning bugs in a jar; his sadness isn’t a dark, overbearing thing, but a source of gentle, mournful light.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
11 Dec. 2025
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The sorrow songs are also a record of their time, a commentary on their present so as to shape another coming present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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His high point will be long forgotten, disastrously undone by his successor to plunge the world into recession, if not depression.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
-
Soft spots in the base beneath the blacktop can lead to depressions.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
Karon was moved to write through her grief.—
Faith Salie,
CBS News,
7 Dec. 2025
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Look for the references to Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and other figures from Mary’s life as the titular character, Mathilda, grapples with loss and grief that was all-too-familiar to Mary herself.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Coppola and production designer Ziering will explore their creative partnership, the aesthetic and emotional storytelling that defines Coppola’s visual universe — from the suburban melancholy of Palo Alto to the luminous complexity of The Last Showgirl.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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The manager who is so often the picture of calm had reddened eyes, a hint of melancholy in his voice.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Its revivification of history — staged simply and vaulted to extremes of anguish and tension by its fine acting — is both chilling and, in a sharp, icky way, often funny.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
14 June 2026
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Week after week, his digits splayed across his helmet in anguish after passes ticked off his hands and into the grass.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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