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

Several of Watts’ most indelible characters are in mourning. —Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025

Advertisement People as young as 16 were among the casualties, and the nation declared seven days of mourning. —TIME, 17 Mar. 2025

In 2025, Brendon released a video mourning Michelle Trachtenberg, his former costar. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2025

This visceral vulnerability, as a result of Yvonne’s mourning, is the film’s most intriguing facet, which Ohs unveils with a deft hand through his eerie sense of atmosphere. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 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