DOLEFULNESS Synonyms: 121 Similar and Opposite Words

dolefulness

noun

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

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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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolefulness

Noun

And that is what produces, for me, the anger and the rage and the sadness.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Fortuna noted rapid surveys also found that children with at least one immigrant parent are more likely to experience nightmares and higher levels of sadness.

— Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of sadness

Noun

Following the ruling, Benson drowns her sorrows over cocktails with Sharpe, and, in a revealing, impeccably acted scene, airs out her grievances about her job.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
As their division rivals popped bottles inside Yankee Stadium’s visiting clubhouse, the home side filled with frustration and sorrow.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of sorrow

Noun

The initiative’s goal is by 2030 to have empowered 3 million people to recognize the early signs of anxiety and depression, and take steps toward helping those.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
In addition to fentanyl, toxicology tests detected alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax; the muscle relaxant methocarbamol; and quetiapine, a medication primarily used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and, in some cases, depression.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of depression

Noun

Common issues include grief, divorce or exploring childhood trauma.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
Harry seems more at home in conversation with O’Connor, his eyes searching for answers to soft-spoken queries about grief’s effect on the brain, then lighting up with warmth at the memory of Diana.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of grief

Noun

The question for me is whether or not Lloyd will also manage to capture the melancholy of a deceptively serious play, notwithstanding its reputation.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
On the one hand, there’s a fascination with collective joy and the forms of vernacular invention that aspire to it; on the other, there’s an underlying melancholy that points to the inevitability of isolation, an epistemology of loneliness.

— Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of melancholy

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dolefully

dolefulness

dole out

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“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dolefulness

noun

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