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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Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett also condemned the shooting and expressed his sorrow for the parents of the victims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 July 2025 -
We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss.—
Aaron Valdez,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Composting locations don’t need to be perfectly level, but selecting a spot that doesn’t have any significant inclines or depressions makes compost piles much easier to manage.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 June 2025
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However, the series main character, Mi-ji, has been able to move past the depression that kept her from chasing her ambitions for years.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
30 June 2025
Noun
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After the trial and sentencings, a noose of grief tightened around the DuFresne family.—
Mary Jane Gibson,
Rolling Stone,
29 June 2025
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The 90-minute, time-hopping play weaves facts with fiction and contemporary tragedy with an ancient Greek poem in the moving and often funny story of one woman’s 20-year cycle of grief and recovery.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
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To date, Operation UNITED has resulted in 33 positive identifications of people whose disappearance had left family members in anguish.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
16 June 2025
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Even so, the movie’s forceful visual shocks (executed mostly with practical effects) are easier to bear than its restlessly mounting anguish.—
Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Labor Day is suffused with a certain melancholy at the end of summer and children are already back in school.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
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That betrayal, like so many others, fed the melancholy in Brian's music.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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