1
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the mournful death of a beloved entertainer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 mournful
Springsteen has sounded bitter before, and mournful, but never this purely angry.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
All Fox could do was cradle Truman’s hand, stare straight ahead, summon a proud mournful dignity, and try to pretend that the people all around them did not exist.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
This internal struggle is portrayed with raw honesty, focusing on the darker, mournful corners of humanity that inspired the record’s lyrics.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Other tracks channel the mournful energy of the most political ’70s dub.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
All Fox could do was cradle Truman’s hand, stare straight ahead, summon a proud mournful dignity, and try to pretend that the people all around them did not exist.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
This internal struggle is portrayed with raw honesty, focusing on the darker, mournful corners of humanity that inspired the record’s lyrics.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
Other tracks channel the mournful energy of the most political ’70s dub.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie's Arizona community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening while the world can't look away from an incident that is deeply, horrifically sad and frightening.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The song is sophisticated and simple, sad and somehow triumphant.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
More depressing, the brothers say.—
Max Chesnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Any insight into the thought processes of people like him is informative and amusing, if a bit depressing as well.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As the funeral procession got underway and the crowds swelled, a small group of supporters took Seif al-Islam’s coffin away and later performed the funeral prayers and buried him.—
Yousef Murad,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Waiting ultimately allowed Dews to attend the repast, a post-funeral gathering among family and friends.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Many people have a profound attachment to suffering and staying in unhappy relationships and so a lot of my work is trying to figure out why.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The day after the Super Bowl, some people are guaranteed to be unhappy.—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
These attempts at sowing division are pathetic and getting boring.—
Rhyma Castillo,
San Antonio Express-News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For Guardiola to focus on lambasting Hallam was pretty pathetic, all told.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Though heartbroken, Punsalan and Swallow decided to compete at Lillehammer anyway.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
3 Feb. 2026
-
An internal exam performed by her doctor indicated signs of a miscarriage at just five weeks, leaving her and her husband heartbroken.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Our bull thesis was based on the stock’s price-to-earnings multiple re-rating higher from a depressed valuation after the spin.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The latter initially presents in Ferrari yellow until its depressed into the central console, at which point the key turns black, the top of the glass shifter turns yellow, and all the instrumentation activates.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
