mournful

adjective

ˈmȯrn-fəl How to pronounce mournful (audio)
Definition of mournfulnext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in depressing
causing unhappiness the mournful death of a beloved entertainer

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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 mournful Here, his mournful ex-convict is finally tasting freedom in a country that wants to keep him metaphorically shackled. — Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026 The hour-long event included mournful hymns, prayers and the laying of wreaths by the participants, which included representatives from many countries around the world. — ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026 There was something mournful in watching Jackson grapple with the realization that his fame, talent, or the myth of him could save him from the reckoning or the boundaries of appropriate behavior with children. — Steven Gray, Time, 29 Apr. 2026 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. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mournful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mournful
  1. weeping
  2. sad
  3. depressing
  4. funeral
  5. unhappy
  6. pathetic
  7. heartbroken
  8. depressed
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
  • Day broke, bathing everything in light, and so great was the vitality of the early-morning sun that even the unhappy city seemed to smile a wan, sad smile.
    — Vasily Grossman, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • But SpringHill really took off in 2020, two seasons into James’ Lakers term, when The SpringHill Company went public (and the Lakers won the sad COVID-bubble NBA Championship).
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • What a depressing, disturbing waste, no matter the final verdict.
    — Bob Wojnowski, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2026
  • After watching and enjoying the film, a somewhat depressing thought leaped into my mind.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 8 June 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • 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.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • 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.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • The decade was an unhappy panorama of inflation, gas shortages, military humiliation, and revelations of political corruption.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
  • On Tuesday, Paul urged Americans who are unhappy with the justices’ ruling to support his proposal.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 June 2026
Definition of unhappy
Adjective
  • Instagram Plus is social media’s newest low—a company preying on our most pathetic impulses, for the price of a small iced coffee.
    — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • After these first three majors — and after a pathetic showing this week at Shinnecock — there's no reason to bet against it.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Was, still heartbroken about the loss of his friend and bandmate, recalled their first time on tour.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Prince Harry was heartbroken after arriving at Eton College in 1998.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 30 June 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • The pseudonymous title character, a depressed, drunken, belligerent twenty-six-year-old advice columnist, has no real hardships of his own and is cursed by doubt.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 2026
  • Supergirl is a story about a depressed, super-powered woman who is pulled out of her bar-hopping to help other people and find her purpose.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026
Definition of depressed

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Cite this Entry

“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mournful

Nglish: Translation of mournful for Spanish Speakers

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