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
Relevance
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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Still, along with the sadness, there’s ample speculation in the art world and on social media that the artist himself orchestrated this round of naming.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2026 -
No sadness mars the purity of its paranoia.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Yet the ballads are also strong, conveying palpable sorrow as the family members figure up their losses.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
19 Mar. 2026
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The murders magnified the terror and sorrow emanating from thousands of anti-Asian attacks arising in the months preceding.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Teenagers with difficulty accessing their outpatient mental health care come to the ED in crisis, with intensifying depression or anxiety.—
Dr. Lauren Palladino,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
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This can lead to anxiety and depression.—
Arthur C. Brooks
March 22,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This balancing act -- holding both her grief and her drive to keep going -- fed her work as a grief counselor and end-of-life photographer for families.—
MAGGIE PENMAN THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
22 Mar. 2026
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But her unresolved case has cast a long shadow on their grief.—
Annalise Peterson,
NBC news,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And while fans and teammates have embraced their former nemesis, his recent streak of three goals in two games have also produced memories of past April anguish.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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Reinhart’s character, having woken up inside the ship, grapples with moments of doubt and anguish throughout the music video.—
Nicole Fell,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
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What plucks at the heartstrings with its Herb Alpert studio melancholy sounds a little fried here, the song’s plaintive, tentative charm buried under thrashing improvisation.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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