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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Curtis revealed that Annie, who welcomed her baby boy with husband Jason Wolf in December, was able to take the grief and sadness of losing her godparents and birth as a new beginning.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026 -
There will be deaths, of characters as well as relationships, but McInerney’s always-sharp insights on social strata and human nature guarantee that in the midst of sadness we are also entertained.—
Bethanne Patrick,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Of those witnesses, only one testified to seeing Tex show any signs of sorrow.—
Lauren A. White,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Redemptive suffering Shared sorrow is a key part of Iran’s Twelver Shiite identity, which venerates the Prophet Muhammad’s family through daughter Fatima and cousin and son-in-law, Ali.—
Mary Thurlkill,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This sharp satire of the entertainment industry tackles serious issues like addiction and depression while never skimping on the jokes.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
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In 2024, Ryyan was diagnosed with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.—
Kennedy Cook,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Both reflect a deep passion for a particular place—Johnson’s Middle Tennessee, Hiaasen’s South Florida—and a mixture of exasperation and grief at the destruction of the natural world to make room for megamansions and toxic waste dumps.—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
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Lawrence explained that the series was originally designed around a three-season arc focusing on grief, forgiveness and moving forward.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Large statues of the Virgin Mary show her in various states of mourning, even in anguish.—
Alexis Marshall,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
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Without a diagnosis, people are unsure about how a condition might progress over time, and this can be a great source of anguish for both patients and their families.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The film’s empathetic interest in individual, often eccentric human lives gives it a warmth that overrides the underlying melancholy of the material, making for a pleasingly unsentimental crowdpleaser.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
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Some acknowledged the possibility that melancholy could be inherited.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Dolefulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolefulness. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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