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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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
Yoo, 18, lost his father in March and sang the mournful work by Roger Quilter at the funeral services.
—
Theresa Walker 2, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2025
Tim—sinking into drug abuse and narcissistic despair, as mournful as a donkey in a spa robe—has hovered over The White Lotus like a heavy black cloud.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
That consistency was perhaps why, despite the Warriors’ stunning Game 1 win, the tone of their postgame interviews was at times mournful rather than celebratory.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 7 May 2025
One aspect is the story that is told, which is a very mournful story of a mother losing a child and then abandoning herself to the river as the child was.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Theresa Walker 2, Oc Register, 27 Apr. 2025
Tim—sinking into drug abuse and narcissistic despair, as mournful as a donkey in a spa robe—has hovered over The White Lotus like a heavy black cloud.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
That consistency was perhaps why, despite the Warriors’ stunning Game 1 win, the tone of their postgame interviews was at times mournful rather than celebratory.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 7 May 2025
One aspect is the story that is told, which is a very mournful story of a mother losing a child and then abandoning herself to the river as the child was.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mournful
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Banks: There’s a reason why the theater [symbol] is a happy face/sad face.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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To some, this may sound bizarre, laughable, or even just plain sad.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
Adjective
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All that matters is whether Dance Mom, a character designed in a lab to be a depressing punchline, pulls in just enough of the always-online demo to boost their numbers among younger viewers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
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Music was a way to showcase something that wasn’t depressing.—
Ramin Setoodeh,
Variety,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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Bright red ribbons decorate the trees and signposts of northwest suburban Niles in anticipation of a funeral procession and service today to honor Chicago Fire Department Capt. David Meyer, who was killed last week while battling a suspicious garage fire in the Austin neighborhood.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2025
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The funeral Mass for Pope Francis was attended by many world leaders including President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Additionally, the more fiscally conservative Senate is increasingly unhappy with the cost of the bill, which is estimated to add $3.1 trillion to the deficit over the next decade.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Four of its main characters are in unhappy marriages and cheating on their spouses, which is sometimes awkwardly played for laughs.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Anyone who tells you different is a liar (and pathetic, and alone in life).—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2025
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The politicized fantasy and horror films by Ryan Coogler and Jordan Peele are merely pathetic.—
Armond White,
National Review,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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The second track on the LP told the story of a heartbroken barmaid pining after a sailor who refused to give up his nomadically maritime lifestyle for her.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Courtesy of Lionsgate The heartbroken little girl with the ballerina music box will grow up to be Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro, a young woman bent on—what else?—avenging her father’s murder.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The results: enrollees had less financial stress and were less likely to be depressed, but there was no difference in their physical health.—
John C. Goodman,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Even at a time when film and TV production in Southern California is depressed, A-listers want to spend their time between takes in plush surroundings.—
William Earl,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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