1
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in depressing
causing unhappiness
the mournful death of a beloved entertainer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mournful
On paper, there’s nothing wrong with making a purposefully not-fun extension of the Donner films, but Superman Returns never truly escapes the strangeness of creating a mournful victory lap of films that the director and cast had nothing to do with.
—
Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Joining in the festivities is outgoing French student Chloé (Cécile Matignon, hugely appealing), ostensibly in a relationship but flirting brazenly with Nicolau, who even after a few beers is too mournful to pick up the signals.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 July 2025
The mournful cries of nearby Slow-Lows draw attention from other infected in the area, who plant themselves along the top of a picturesque hill waiting for the Alpha’s signal to attack.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Once abundant on the island, this ground-foraging dove – with an earthy red-brown plumage and a quiet, mournful call – disappeared from the wild by 1972.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Rory Doherty, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Joining in the festivities is outgoing French student Chloé (Cécile Matignon, hugely appealing), ostensibly in a relationship but flirting brazenly with Nicolau, who even after a few beers is too mournful to pick up the signals.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 July 2025
The mournful cries of nearby Slow-Lows draw attention from other infected in the area, who plant themselves along the top of a picturesque hill waiting for the Alpha’s signal to attack.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Once abundant on the island, this ground-foraging dove – with an earthy red-brown plumage and a quiet, mournful call – disappeared from the wild by 1972.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 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
-
Charlotte Lawrence loves a good, gut-wrenching, sad song.—
Leah Lu,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Even weeks following the sad news, Black Sabbath is still dominating, and several of the group’s albums climb to new peaks decades after they were first released.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Gambling today, however, is a sad and depressing experience, nothing like my dad’s and my Atlantic City adventure.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Aug. 2025
-
And yet, somehow, the most depressing show on TV—with the exception of any news broadcast, at least—is a reality soap about bougie couples in the suburbs of Los Angeles.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
When Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a funeral procession that snaked through his hometown of Birmingham, fans covered the Black Sabbath bridge and bench with flowers, artwork, personal messages, merchandise, and more.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Fans flocked to the streets of Birmingham on July 30 for a funeral procession for Osbourne, who was later laid to rest in a private family ceremony in the city.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As with almost any change, some residents were unhappy, mostly about being told to slow down.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
-
President Donald Trump was unhappy with July’s U.S. jobs report, which showed hiring slowing (with 73,000 jobs added, compared to 100,000 predicted) and revised past months’ numbers.—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What’s more pathetic than those who keep selling that myth?—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Kamala has lied for years about their pathetic job growth, which has never been real.—
Meg Kinnard,
Fortune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While the feline escaped unscathed, Lex admitted the incident left her heartbroken.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
That’s not to say Moore wasn’t heartbroken or incredibly stressed out during the wildfires.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
That view shifted Wednesday, with our double upgrade back to our buy-equivalent 1 rating after CEO David Ricks and several other company insiders bought lots of shares of the depressed stock.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Once rich and chubby and depressed, Johnson is now, at forty-seven, rich and ripped and determined to live forever.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share