1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
a mournful howl
2
: full of sorrow : sad
a mournful occasion
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournful news
mournfulness
noun
Examples of mournful in a Sentence
she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died
the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.
—
Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Humpback whales, which can weigh more than 55,000 pounds, are the ocean's most renowned singers, capable of complex vocalizations that can sound ethereal or even mournful.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rather than being a mournful movie about dying, Benna’s film pinpoints how to live and find joy and tears out of a terminal situation.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
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Patrick Whittle, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Humpback whales, which can weigh more than 55,000 pounds, are the ocean's most renowned singers, capable of complex vocalizations that can sound ethereal or even mournful.
—CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Over the years, humpback whale songs have been recorded for human listening, with many describing the songs as having a haunting, mournful quality.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Rather than being a mournful movie about dying, Benna’s film pinpoints how to live and find joy and tears out of a terminal situation.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mournful
adjective
mourn·ful
ˈmō(ə)rn-fəl 
ˈmȯ(ə)rn-
1
: expressing or full of sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
2
: causing sorrow
a mournful story
mournfulness
noun
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