sorrowful

adjective

ˈsär-(ˌ)ō-fəl How to pronounce sorrowful (audio)
Definition of sorrowfulnext
1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning adopted a sorrowful tone of voice to read the news story about the former governor's death

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness the cult seemed to be a sorrowful assemblage of emotionally scarred people seeking love and redemption

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 sorrowful This movie’s nail-biting, sorrowful power comes from what internalized destruction looks like. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 There were women like her—some Indigenous and some African-looking sorrowful in their coarse linen shifts, huddling together. — Literary Hub, 26 May 2026 Along with intermittent rain, gray skies have accompanied the sorrowful mood that has permeated throughout the garage this weekend in Concord. — Jordan Bianchi, New York Times, 23 May 2026 Although Ashura is the day when the mourning reaches its culmination, Muharram has come to mean the collection of observances during this sacred and sorrowful time at the start of the year. — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for sorrowful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorrowful
  1. mournful
  2. sad
  3. weeping
  4. unhappy
  5. heartbroken
  6. depressed
  7. funeral
  8. miserable
Adjective
  • Whitney Houston’s powerhouse version stands alone, but Dolly’s quieter, mournful ode to her collaboration with Porter Wagoner is the artful, formative sketch to a colossal mural.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • These pauses also give the documentary an air of mournful respect, making its pace more deliberate than the standard talking heads-doc that might be mistaken as a stylistic counterpart.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • That might also explain the movie’s attempts to supercharge its few action sequences, as if the filmmakers realized belatedly that a sad book without much incident wasn’t exactly prime summer studio release fodder.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Obviously, a really sad story and hard to listen to at times.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
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
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • Garcia and fellow Democrats are mindful of what’s driving unhappy voters who face a vexing mix of inflation and weak economic growth.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Sometimes kids performing things on TV look unhappy or awkward, but this girl seems to genuinely enjoy singing while her dad plays guitar.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • Lindsay Clancy was depressed, prosecutor says During more than four weeks of testimony, jurors heard differing views from medical experts about Clancy’s mental state after Callan’s birth.
    — Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Many established theatrical distributors are also wary of the current depressed market for documentaries.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressed
Adjective
  • The killings wiped out members from four generations, said Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses and was authorized to release the details.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Daily Mail reported that Andrew remains on a confidential government list of royal family members with funeral plans prepared in advance.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • The loss of cultural titans Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Peter Cullen, and Yayoi Kusama sent the week in a miserable direction.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Making someone miserable with a forty-one-page application does not.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of miserable

Browse Nearby Words

sorrow (for)
sorrowful
sorrowfully
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Cite this Entry

“Sorrowful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorrowful. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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