1
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died
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2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead
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3
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the mournful death of a beloved entertainer
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Examples of mournful in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Off his now iconic Blonde, the sparse song features some samples but is mostly held together by mournful guitar, giving space to the torment of a necessary but painful split.
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Juan Velasquez, Them, 10 July 2024
While the mournful subject matter will be tonal whiplash for anyone drawn to this by Levy's performance in Schitt's Creek, Good Grief proves an empathetic exploration of the complexities of bereavement, one that's a lot warmer and more life-affirming than viewers might expect going in.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
In the end, Higdon returns to a game of hide-and-seek that’s both playful and mournful, with strings that sag like willows and a low mist of returning/departing chimes.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The lamps burned a mournful electric yellow above the drifting crowd and the girls of the line cribs called out in brash and intricate detail the index of their arrangements.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mournful 
Juan Velasquez, Them, 10 July 2024
While the mournful subject matter will be tonal whiplash for anyone drawn to this by Levy's performance in Schitt's Creek, Good Grief proves an empathetic exploration of the complexities of bereavement, one that's a lot warmer and more life-affirming than viewers might expect going in.
—Matt Kamen, WIRED, 6 July 2024
In the end, Higdon returns to a game of hide-and-seek that’s both playful and mournful, with strings that sag like willows and a low mist of returning/departing chimes.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 1 July 2024
The lamps burned a mournful electric yellow above the drifting crowd and the girls of the line cribs called out in brash and intricate detail the index of their arrangements.
—John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for mournful
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mournful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
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