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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mournful
Humpback whales, which can weigh more than 55,000 pounds, are the ocean's most renowned singers, capable of complex vocalizations that can sound ethereal or even mournful.
—
CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rather than being a mournful movie about dying, Benna’s film pinpoints how to live and find joy and tears out of a terminal situation.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Such memories flowed freely this week on social media and in mournful first-person essays.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rather than being a mournful movie about dying, Benna’s film pinpoints how to live and find joy and tears out of a terminal situation.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
Such memories flowed freely this week on social media and in mournful first-person essays.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 6 Feb. 2026
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
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly sad time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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That was very sad that Soft Cell’s Dave Ball died at just 66.—
Pat Saperstein,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Take 25 Hours, in Long Island City, for example, which is freighted with a depressing ambience that is equal parts chemistry lab and subterranean grotto.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Dede Ayite’s costume design nails each character, from Catherine’s slouchy, depressing sweats-and-flannels to Claire’s chic, New York casual-glam.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One of the most famous artists in the world, Anselm Kiefer, installed a funeral pyre of nearly 300 of his works at Marian Goodman on West 57th Street, one of the more prestigious galleries at the time.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
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This fascinating doc explores the dilemma now facing the funeral industry and the many inventive solutions being pioneered.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Fast-forward to the April 7 special election brought to a ballot by residents unhappy with the changes.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
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One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even without Bosa, 20 sacks is a pathetic number for a franchise that through the years has included fearsome edge players such as Tommy Hart, Cedrick Hardman, Charles Haley and Aldon Smith.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
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With Juan Soto still sidelined, Alvarez has recently moved up to fifth in a so-far pathetic Mets lineup.—
Michael Salfino,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Based on the 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic follows the witchy women of the Owens’ family, whose heartbroken ancestor cursed their bloodline so that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman dies a tragic death.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Instead, Janai Norman — the warm, radiant presence who had become the heart of weekend Good Morning America — said goodbye through a tearful Instagram video on April 3 that left loyal viewers blindsided and heartbroken.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The father, Jagdish, told me that one of his children was vomiting and the other had bloody stools; both were depressed.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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So why are young Americans so depressed about their economic future?—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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