mournfulness

noun

Definition of mournfulnessnext
as in sadness
a state or spell of low spirits the memorial to the war's dead has an aura of mournfulness that cannot be conveyed in words

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 mournfulness Power Ballad should be breezy and fun, with that twist of mournfulness that Carney is always so adept at pulling off. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mournfulness
  1. sadness
  2. melancholy
  3. depression
  4. sorrow
Noun
  • At the same time, 40% reported experiencing stress, 23% reported sadness, 22% anger and 22% loneliness.
    — Naira Velumyan, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Still, there are strains of deeper sadness and discomfort here, largely in the passive-aggressive tension between Kim’s character and her onscreen mother (superbly played by a new recuit, veteran TV star Choi Myeonggil).
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of sadness
Noun
  • Beneath all the sensuality and beauty, there’s also a lingering melancholy that feels very familiar to me.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 16 June 2026
  • Don Hertzfeldt occasionally comes to mind for a similarly pervasive mood of questioning, philosophical melancholy.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 12 June 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • Many women who experience a miscarriage or stillbirth also develop symptoms of depression.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accuse Meta of designing the platforms to hook young users, fueling anxiety, depression and even suicide, and misleading consumers about their safety.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of depression
Noun
  • While firefighter Ed Glover appeared caught between rapture, and deep sorrow.
    — Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Two people in New Orleans fall in love under an oak tree whose branches bend like sorrow.
    — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorrow

Browse Nearby Words

mournfully
mournfulness
mourning
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Cite this Entry

“Mournfulness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournfulness. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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