mournful

adjective

mourn·​ful ˈmȯrn-fəl 

1

: expressing sorrow : sorrowful

2

: full of sorrow : sad

3

: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy

mournfully

ˈmȯrn-fə-lē 

adverb

mournfulness noun

Synonyms

• aching
• agonized
• anguished
• bemoaning
• bewailing
• bitter
• deploring
• doleful
• dolesome
• dolorous
• funeral
• grieving
• heartbroken
• lamentable
• lugubrious
• plaintive
• plangent
• regretful
• rueful
• sorrowful
• sorry
• wailing
• weeping
• woeful

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

In the mournful mid-section, keyboardist Rick Wakeman channels Bach on the pipe organ, recorded at a London church. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025

Prospective Xbox players can hear the final version of the haunting, mournful Atlamaha-ha piece in EW’s exclusive reveal of a live-action music video shot for South of Midnight. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025

One aspect is the story that is told, which is a very mournful story of a mother losing a child and then abandoning herself to the river as the child was. —Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025

Demons have extra depth from noises that range between tortured and mournful. —Matt Gardner, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for mournful

• scornful

Kids 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

mournfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

mournfulness noun