mournful

[ mawrn-fuhl, mohrn- ]

adjective

1. feeling or expressing sorrow or grief; sorrowful; sad.
2. of or relating to mourning mourning for the dead.
3. causing grief or lament:

   a mournful occasion.

4. gloomy, somber, or dreary, as in appearance or character:

   mournful shadows.

mournful

/ ˈmɔːnfʊl /

adjective

1. evoking grief; sorrowful
2. gloomy; sad

Derived Forms

• ˈmournfulness, noun
• ˈmournfully, adverb

Other Words From

• mournful·ly adverb
• mournful·ness noun
• over·mournful adjective
• over·mournful·ly adverb
• over·mournful·ness noun
• un·mournful adjective
• un·mournful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of mournful¹

First recorded in 1375–1425, mournful is from the late Middle English word morneful. See mourn, -ful

Example Sentences

It may be hard to find more mournful meaning in a mere number.

From Washington Post

The Samaritaine department store—once grand, but recently shuttered at the time of the movie’s filming—had its own supporting role, looming over the proceedings like a mournful gray ghost.

From Time

About Endlessness, meditative, mournful and subtly celebratory, reminds us to cherish the in-between.

From Time

It’s meditative, mournful and gently funny, and celebratory, too, but in a muted way.

From Time

The plaintiveness of his surrender is both funny and mournful.

From Time

The familiar and mournful theme song, “Suicide Is Painless,” filled the room.

From The Daily Beast

These aren't stomping tunes, but tender and mournful folk songs, a bespoke genre.

From The Daily Beast

The proper melodies for putting Hebrew poems to music were Russian, and mostly mournful.

From The Daily Beast

"Nothing here but Oxy and coal," says one of the subjects of Sean Dunne's mournful documentary Oxyana.

From The Daily Beast

It followed one of the saddest and most profoundly mournful images of defeat.

From The Daily Beast

Felipe watched over her as a lover might; her great mournful eyes followed his every motion.

From Project Gutenberg

A red moon hung above the mournful hills, and the stars shone in their myriads.

From Project Gutenberg

A cold and mournful wind blew down the street, ruffling the darkened river.

From Project Gutenberg

They jeered and sounded mournful notes without promise, devoid even of hope.

From Project Gutenberg

Half an hour later the island was silent as the grave, but for the mournful voices of the wind as it sighed up from the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• anguished
• forlorn
• sad