dolorous

adjective

ˈdō-lə-rəs How to pronounce dolorous (audio)
Definition of dolorousnext
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning dolorous ballads of death and regret

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dolorous The album’s pointed cover, showing a dolorous schoolboy gripping a phone while holding a basketball, hints at the weighty revelations contained therein. — Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025 Above ground, the images are reminiscent of Bela Tarr or the particularly dolorous stretches of early Tarkovsky movies, an impression accented by the strange siren-like blares, twangs and choral interludes of Tako Zhordania’s otherwordly score. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 July 2023 The next evening, a lanky youth in military fatigues mumbles something less dolorous from the same podium and Llewyn can only watch from the sidelines as the audience applauds with vigour. — Hazlitt, 24 Aug. 2022 Things had changed just enough to incorporate this kind of hard, dolorous realism. — Wesley Morris, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2020 His Grammy supremacy, to the exclusion of Sheeran, shows that the dolorous guitarist no longer holds intrinsic sway over the smiling showman for the awards' purposes. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolorous
  1. mournful
  2. weeping
  3. funeral
  4. heartbroken
  5. bitter
  6. wailing
Adjective
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
  • East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
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 broadcaster reported that more than a hundred people had gathered in and around the church for a funeral procession.
    — Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Talking about wills, medical wishes, funeral arrangements or who will handle the finances if a parent becomes incapacitated can feel intrusive, particularly when a parent is still healthy and independent.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • The woman never brought Melissa back, leaving a heartbroken Apantenco wondering what had become of her baby.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Sweeney’s tutor Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney was heartbroken to learn of Benzinger’s passing.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • The classmate, Joleene Altum, sued Griffin for emotional distress and invasion of privacy, and Griffin countersued for defamation in a bitter, ongoing legal battle.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The episode was a bitter lesson for the group, resulting in resentment and division.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Dolorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolorous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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