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
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Rosalía joined in September, writing about the purpose of her art but also the sadness around her birthday.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
15 Feb. 2026 -
The manipulations also affected how much sadness and anger participants reported feeling while scrolling.—
Simon Makin,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow and condolences to the victims’ families and directed authorities to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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And this production certainly has that, making for a consistently entertaining drama that can quicken your heart one minute and plunge it into profound sorrow the next.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Tobacco parallels The Los Angeles trial centers on allegations made by a 20-year-old woman, Kaley, and her mother that four social media giants intentionally designed addictive platforms that hooked her as a child and led to mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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Today, Hirsch points out, depression glass is a valuable collectible, particularly in its prettiest pastel colors.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The three women, all widows, were brought together by their shared grief and desire to help others in the same situation.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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The study found that many of those surveyed used crochet to manage their mental health and help them with grief, chronic illness, and pain.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Kathleen Hanna fronted punk greats Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, two bands that existed at different times in the evolving (but still sexist) conversation about women and their place in culture, with the musicians often serving as paragons of feminist critique and anguish.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
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Even now, more than 40 years later, the lasting image of her career is of Decker laying on the track in anguish and tears after colliding with Zola Budd in the 1984 Olympic 3,000-meter run.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Turner plays the middle brother with intriguing melancholy and an almost alien detachment, which works within the world this film creates, but not necessarily for a main character.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
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Fanning’s name was the first called when nominations were announced, signaling that Scandinavian melancholy would be notably absent that morning.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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