mourning

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmȯr-niŋ 

1

: the act of sorrowing

She is still in mourning for her dead husband.

2

a

: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death

lots of people there, and only one man in full mourning

—Arnold Bennett

b

: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown

after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses

—Henry Reed

Examples of mourning in a Sentence

a day of national mourning

She is still in mourning for her dead husband.

The whole town was in mourning.

a period of deep mourning

His widow was dressed in mourning.

Recent Examples on the Web

For those who cherish winter coats and cold-weather essentials, the start of spring and summer is a time of mourning. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025

That led to a period of mourning at PSA, a relatively small airline where the death of two pilots and two flight attendants, all Charlotte-based, had a deep impact on their co-workers. —Ted Reed, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025

At the rink, the mourning continues and, as one coach said, the cool competitiveness among skaters has softened into hugs and concern for everyone’s well-being. —Juliet MacUr, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

Didion’s presence in her writing arguably grew more prominent as her career went on, perhaps reaching its peak with her memoirs of mourning, The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights. —Christopher Bonanos, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mourning

• go into mourning
• mourning cloak
• mourning dove

Rhymes for mourning

• corning
• horning
• morning
• scorning
• warning
• adorning
• forewarning
• midmorning

Kids Definition

mourning

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmōr-niŋ 

ˈmȯr-

1

: the act of grieving

2

: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death

to wear mourning

3

: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown