as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
dolorous ballads of death and regret
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dolorous
Above ground, the images are reminiscent of Bela Tarr or the particularly dolorous stretches of early Tarkovsky movies, an impression accented by the strange siren-like blares, twangs and choral interludes of Tako Zhordania’s otherwordly score.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 July 2023
The next evening, a lanky youth in military fatigues mumbles something less dolorous from the same podium and Llewyn can only watch from the sidelines as the audience applauds with vigour.
—Hazlitt, 24 Aug. 2022
Things had changed just enough to incorporate this kind of hard, dolorous realism.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2020
Filled with desolate vistas, a feathered and furred menagerie, and multiple aperture-like windows, these fragments quickly establish a moody tone and over time become dolorous refrains.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2018
His Grammy supremacy, to the exclusion of Sheeran, shows that the dolorous guitarist no longer holds intrinsic sway over the smiling showman for the awards' purposes.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2017
The mosaics portray Jesus and his human forebears, including Joseph and a dolorous Mother Mary.
—Nasser Nasser, National Geographic, 27 May 2016
Did Affleck use up his store of dolorous winces in Manchester by the Sea?
—Christian Lorentzen, New Republic, 5 July 2017
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 July 2023
The next evening, a lanky youth in military fatigues mumbles something less dolorous from the same podium and Llewyn can only watch from the sidelines as the audience applauds with vigour.
—Hazlitt, 24 Aug. 2022
Things had changed just enough to incorporate this kind of hard, dolorous realism.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2020
Filled with desolate vistas, a feathered and furred menagerie, and multiple aperture-like windows, these fragments quickly establish a moody tone and over time become dolorous refrains.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2018
His Grammy supremacy, to the exclusion of Sheeran, shows that the dolorous guitarist no longer holds intrinsic sway over the smiling showman for the awards' purposes.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 28 Nov. 2017
The mosaics portray Jesus and his human forebears, including Joseph and a dolorous Mother Mary.
—Nasser Nasser, National Geographic, 27 May 2016
Did Affleck use up his store of dolorous winces in Manchester by the Sea?
—Christian Lorentzen, New Republic, 5 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dolorous
Adjective
-
Brown’s sound design mixes Sousa-like military fanfares with mournful underscoring for Lavinia’s tragedy, neither of which has much to do with Kidwell’s preshow music.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Chaos quickly unfolds when the bickering, different-strokes twins find the calamitous heirloom—although Perkins keeps the first act mostly mournful, as the boys struggle with the onslaught of death around them.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Their son Donny attended to all of the funeral arrangements with the help of his wife Jan, a nurse, and his daughters Andrea and Alicia.—
Phil Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
-
Soon after the crash, West Marin Community Services co-organized an online fundraiser to assist Romo Zúñiga’s family with the funeral and medical expenses.—
Cameron Macdonald,
The Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Boldt hired 300 workers to construct the six-story, 120-room castle outfitted with a drawbridge and tower, but when Louise died suddenly in 1904, the heartbroken Boldt halted construction and never returned to the island.—
Gulnaz Khan,
AFAR Media,
13 Feb. 2025
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There are similar Valentine’s Day opportunities geared toward the heartbroken.—
Megan Forrester,
ABC News,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The bitter exchange was unlike any other in the Oval Office in modern times. 13:43 With Ukraine's future in the balance, a high-stakes meeting on Friday between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a shouting match.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2025
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But there are some whiskey fans who crave high-proof spirits the way others will seek out intensely hoppy beer or extremely bitter amaro: the more extreme, the better, full stop.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dolorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dolorous. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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