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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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
Adjective
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
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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Trump is unhappy with Musk’s outburst, but Republicans are downplaying the effect on their agenda bill Trump confirmed their relationship has soured, with Musk repeatedly blasting the president’s sweeping domestic agenda bill in recent days and a public fight on social media on Thursday.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
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
Noun
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This tale of the power of community spirit in difficult times, interwoven with a fine strand of melancholy, is as disarming and subtly engaging as the director’s unshakeable faith in human decency.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
3 June 2025
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The production gives it a lush feel, but it’s haunted by a certain melancholy.—
David Chiu,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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