as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
dolorous ballads of death and regret
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dolorous
The album’s pointed cover, showing a dolorous schoolboy gripping a phone while holding a basketball, hints at the weighty revelations contained therein.
—
Will Dukes,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Above ground, the images are reminiscent of Bela Tarr or the particularly dolorous stretches of early Tarkovsky movies, an impression accented by the strange siren-like blares, twangs and choral interludes of Tako Zhordania’s otherwordly score.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
8 July 2023
The next evening, a lanky youth in military fatigues mumbles something less dolorous from the same podium and Llewyn can only watch from the sidelines as the audience applauds with vigour.
—
Hazlitt,
24 Aug. 2022
Things had changed just enough to incorporate this kind of hard, dolorous realism.
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Wesley Morris,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2020
His Grammy supremacy, to the exclusion of Sheeran, shows that the dolorous guitarist no longer holds intrinsic sway over the smiling showman for the awards' purposes.
—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
28 Nov. 2017
Will Dukes,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Above ground, the images are reminiscent of Bela Tarr or the particularly dolorous stretches of early Tarkovsky movies, an impression accented by the strange siren-like blares, twangs and choral interludes of Tako Zhordania’s otherwordly score.
—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
8 July 2023
The next evening, a lanky youth in military fatigues mumbles something less dolorous from the same podium and Llewyn can only watch from the sidelines as the audience applauds with vigour.
—
Hazlitt,
24 Aug. 2022
Things had changed just enough to incorporate this kind of hard, dolorous realism.
—
Wesley Morris,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2020
His Grammy supremacy, to the exclusion of Sheeran, shows that the dolorous guitarist no longer holds intrinsic sway over the smiling showman for the awards' purposes.
—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
28 Nov. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolorous
Adjective
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The years have only intensified Zimmerman’s mournful, hushed vocal performance, and Dream Me a Dream often plays out like a bedtime story spun by a beloved elder, accompanied by soft strings, shakers, and even a synth or two.
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The drama can stir up nostalgia and mournful emotions, and feels personal to many.
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.
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
Adjective
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When Khomeini’s coffin began moving in a convoy, mourners surged towards it, causing a crowd crush and forcing the funeral procession to be abandoned, according to ISNA.
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Amid the inextricable trauma of losing her 18-year-old child, the mother had feared that traditional funeral customs might be handled differently because of the manner in which her daughter died.
Adjective
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Was, still heartbroken about the loss of his friend and bandmate, recalled their first time on tour.
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Prince Harry was heartbroken after arriving at Eton College in 1998.
Adjective
-
Losing to a rival is bad enough, but how the defeat unfolded is sure to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of one of the greatest strikers ever.
-
The empty hotels have now become a bitter symbol of the collapse of an industry once seen as key to Cuba’s economic future.
Adjective
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Sitting opposite an old people’s home in a residential corner of Paris’ 14th arrondissement, La Santé’s unassuming presence is only given away by the occasional wailing siren as prisoners are transported to and from the site.
Cite this Entry
“Dolorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolorous. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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