mourning 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of mourningnext
as in grieving

Related Words

Relevance

mourning

2 of 3

noun

as in suffering

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

mourning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of mourn
1
as in aching
to feel deep sadness or mental pain we mourned for weeks after our beloved pet's death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lamenting
to feel or express sorrow for an editorial that mourns the loss of the town's last movie theater

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 mourning
Noun
Instead, the queen found it best for the family to stay in Scotland and to focus on her grieving grandsons rather than the mourning public at large. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 28 July 2026 Which, in addition to mourning, was the other prevailing sentiment in the shop. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 23 July 2026
Verb
More than mourning For most Shiites, Husayn’s martyrdom is more than a historical tragedy. — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026 The boring, dime-a-dozen influencer is dead, and nobody’s mourning it. — Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mourning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mourning
  1. sad
  2. suffering
  3. grieving
  4. lamenting
  5. upset
  6. weeping
  7. regretting
  8. mournful
Adjective
  • Biden as the progressive hero, and Obama as the sad, weak appendage to the Reagan era.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026
  • But my partner’s son is sad his own father is also less involved but doesn’t see the cause.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 29 July 2026
Definition of sad
Noun
  • The path to this milestone was imperfect and paved in blood and suffering.
    — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
  • And yet, in Yoon’s hands, a character’s suffering never overwhelms their capacity for tenderness.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of suffering
Verb
  • Peter trying to have a normal holiday while grieving Tony, Mysterio’s deception, and the post-credits scene that blows Peter’s life apart — all of it feeds into where the new film finds him.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • People attend funerals in order to pay their respects and emotionally support the grieving family.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of grieving
Verb
  • Even with Peter lamenting the loss of his mentor Tony Stark, high-school high jinks keep the storytelling lighthearted, while Jake Gyllenhaal makes an over-the-top splash as enigmatic supervillain Mysterio.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 July 2026
  • The post has since received several comments lamenting the closing.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of lamenting
Adjective
  • Baltimore City's latest crackdown on dirt bikes has some riders upset and asking for the mayor and police commissioner to meet with them.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 29 July 2026
  • The day nurse is 100 percent correct that Catherine is crashing there, but no one really seems too upset about it.
    — Erin Qualey, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Definition of upset
Noun
  • Physical symptoms of air irritation include running noses, sneezing, gagging, coughing, and weeping or swollen eyes.
    — Stella Canino-Quiñones, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • The latter was the leader of a failed uprising against the ruling Elizabeth 1, and the weeping stag was often used as a symbol adopted by the Earl’s supporters.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of weeping
Verb
  • Some employers who replaced workers with Ai are not regretting that decision.
    — Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Believe it or not, some people have made the mistake of throwing away old family photos for the sake of organizing only to wind up regretting it!
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 25 June 2026
Definition of regretting
Adjective
  • But there’s something mournful, something searching about his statement, too.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
  • The teen’s father, Jesus Rivas, looked at the screen with a mournful expression and repeatedly checked on Martínez as their lawyer, Patrick Steinfeld, sat next to them.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2026
Definition of mournful

Browse Nearby Words

mournfulness
mourning
mournings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mourning. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on mourning

Nglish: Translation of mourning for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mourning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All