dolefulness

noun

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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolefulness
  1. sadness
  2. sorrow
  3. depression
  4. grief
  5. melancholy
  6. anguish
  7. mournfulness
Noun
  • Tsai, the Stanford professor, has conducted research on how emotion in American culture puts value on trying to always feel positive and minimizing negativity and sadness.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Survey findings About 28% of Gaston respondents reported moderate or higher levels of negative emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger or boredom, compared with roughly 10% in Union, Venkitasubramanian said.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • But genuinely funny moments are rare, badly outnumbered by done-to-death musings regarding the mysteries of being alive and torturous melodramatic moments in which Klara dully absorbs the severity of Josie’s illness and Chrissy’s sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Crystal’s deep and profound sorrow at the loss of his director and friend Rob Reiner, not to mention Robin WIlliams, are very much present in the show.
    — Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • By contrast, Alzheimer’s disease typically is associated with memory and language loss, and is more associated with apathy and depression than with anxiety.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The authors note that high-functioning depression is not an official diagnosis in the DSM-5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions.
    — Allison Aubrey, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • The death was met by a swell of grief, including from former Mexican leaders across the political spectrum.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Harvard Health’s advice on coping with holiday grief suggests adjusting celebrations or starting new traditions when old ones feel too painful.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of grief
Noun
  • The vestiges of his fading memory flash by with a haunting plainness, the melancholy of all this Americana and the sadness of a mind ravaged by time strike the viewer plainly at the end of this maximalist piece of life-writing.
    — Stephanie Wambugu, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • In a masterful unbroken shot, Klaus is on the phone from France with his sister, expressing his bottomless anguish.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Polly, by contrast, reads the manuscript and is immediately filled with anguish and all-consuming fury.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • 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
Definition of mournfulness
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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dolefully
dolefulness
dole out
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Cite this Entry

“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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