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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the mournful death of a beloved entertainer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mournful
So mournful the distant owl in Black Brooks.
—
Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Her powerhouse voice, singing intensely sad words, was piercing, clarion, mournful, and hopeful, all at once.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
The backstory for the Bloody Mary maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth after the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Sartorially rising to the occasion in her mournful ensemble, Middleton added sentimental pieces that honored another late member of the British royal family.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Her powerhouse voice, singing intensely sad words, was piercing, clarion, mournful, and hopeful, all at once.
—Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025
The backstory for the Bloody Mary maze follows the mournful tale of Mary Worth after the tragic death of her family.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
Sartorially rising to the occasion in her mournful ensemble, Middleton added sentimental pieces that honored another late member of the British royal family.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 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
-
How’s this for a sad old country tune?—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The results were a shock to the family, but one that was tinged with a sad realization.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As a result, his work is equal parts depressing and invigorating.—
Walt Hunter,
The Atlantic,
9 Oct. 2025
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This also doesn’t imply the book is depressing or a tear-jerker—quite the opposite.—
Diana Arterian,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Since the tragic incident, Zemfira’s dad Ruslan Mukhtarov created a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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At the end of the service, a funeral procession carried Howard's casket, now draped in an American flag, south along Hickory Road.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
He was told by Talent Relations that the creative team was unhappy with him.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The now-37-year-old wasn’t unhappy with her job.—
Mike Winters,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Characters can be pathetic, and frank about their Toledo Truth Teller’s bleak prospects.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Jimmy Kimmel is a pathetic hate monger.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The conversation left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Still heartbroken years after the split, Richard wears his anger and pain on his sleeve, but his only goal in life is to keep his daughter safe.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The writer, known for her trailblazing work in confessional poetry, was clinically depressed and died by suicide at age 30.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
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Barbeau had been living alone, depressed and isolated since Jessica’s death.—
Jon Michael Varese,
The Atlantic,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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