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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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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My back hurt from that sad excuse for a chair (seriously, who designs dining chairs to feel like medieval torture devices?).—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Stewart is still thanked by gay fans by creating such a rare, highly visible (albeit sad) representation.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The mortality rates of small indie presses and literary journals are a depressing feature of our cultural landscape.—
Michael Washburn,
National Review,
25 May 2025
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Despite there being ample intrigue and mystery around what happened to Peter's first wife, the truth is pretty depressing.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
23 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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Reports suggested that Daltrey was unhappy with Starkey’s playing on the night, and a number of songs were cut short.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
29 May 2025
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Netflix In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, Ortega revealed that the massive success following 'Wednesday' actually left her unhappy.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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What with weakened teams and consistently pathetic performances, their league form on both their parts has been pathetic enough to be termed a dereliction of duty.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
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Take yesterday’s left hook out of nowhere by President Donald Trump, bragging about doing something that would bust even this pathetic budget.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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On the internet, though, he is deemed as the heartbroken, brooding type because ...—
Stephanie Sengwe,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Agudelo made it through surgery Wednesday to relieve pressure on her brain but only has a 1% chance of ultimately surviving, her heartbroken daughter told the Daily News Thursday.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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That would increase to 40% for productions outside of the Los Angeles area, or in economically depressed areas of Los Angeles.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
23 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Messi is not laughing, and neither are his fans, who range from depressed to outraged at the current state of the team.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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