dolesome

adjective

ˈdōl-səm How to pronounce dolesome (audio)
Definition of dolesomenext
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning the dolesome sound of a lone harmonica arising from the darkened encampment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolesome
  1. weeping
  2. mournful
  3. funeral
  4. heartbroken
  5. bitter
  6. wailing
  7. sad
  8. sorry
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • The teen’s father, Jesus Rivas, looked at the screen with a mournful expression and repeatedly checked on Martínez as their lawyer, Patrick Steinfeld, sat next to them.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
  • The teen’s father, Jesus Rivas, looked at the screen with a mournful expression and repeatedly checked on his wife.
    — Nancy Dillon, VIBE.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • McConnell’s office did not immediately return a request for comment from Forbes regarding his plans to return to work or attend funeral services.
    — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Following Bodhi’s death, a GoFundMe was created to help cover funeral expenses for Bodhi and provide counseling to the family grieving his loss.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 25 July 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • The families of these men and women grieving, heartbroken, yet filled with pride.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026
  • Nearly everything Irene does here is monstrous, and yet Corsini never stops encouraging viewers to search for the heartbroken woman suddenly obscured by a wild avatar of self-protection.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • An Old Tom gin, with its softer profile and slight sweetness, can round out the drink but may also compromise the precise balance of bitter, sweet and dry that defines a true Negroni.
    — Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Young grapes lack sugars that would otherwise bind with bitter-tasting phenols in wildfire smoke.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
Definition of bitter
Adjective
  • Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Definition of wailing
Adjective
  • Bao and Dani also get some votes, but Yangyang and Octavius get none, which is sad.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 July 2026
  • But that selflessness comes to feel like the point of this lingering, resonantly sad film — above all else, an elegy for lives unseen and unknown.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 July 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • In light of the full facts, some felt Pulisic’s critics should say sorry.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • This Society is only for the married women of Independence, sorry, babe.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 2026
Definition of sorry
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.

Browse Nearby Words

doles
dolesome
doles out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dolesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolesome. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All