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as in sad
feeling unhappiness the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mournful The atmosphere at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona, is anything but mournful. Amanda Castro mandy Taheri peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025 So mournful the distant owl in Black Brooks. Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025 Her powerhouse voice, singing intensely sad words, was piercing, clarion, mournful, and hopeful, all at once. Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 18 Sep. 2025 Sartorially rising to the occasion in her mournful ensemble, Middleton added sentimental pieces that honored another late member of the British royal family. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mournful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mournful
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
  • Steve's wife, Chelsey Bridges, announced the sad news on Friday in a video shared to her late husband's social pages.
    Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2025
  • This admission seemed sad—critics are supposed to take pride in withstanding disagreement.
    Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • His college career has come to an end in a very depressing way.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • As a result, his work is equal parts depressing and invigorating.
    Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • According to the complaint, Espinoza’s wife, uncle and aunt were told by funeral staff that there was a mix-up regarding the viewing time and viewing arrangements.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Brock demands a jury trial and seeks damages for funeral and medical expenses, and for her pain and suffering, the suit says.
    Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Jason Kelce, brother of Travis and former star of the Philadelphia Eagles, has issued a statement after a fake quote of him appearing to criticize those unhappy with the selection of Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl Halftime Show went viral.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement Lawmakers are reportedly unhappy with briefings on the strikes, unable to clarify the legal basis of the strikes, and the refusal from Pentagon officials to provide unedited video footage of such incidents.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And Craig Waterman, the marketing executive from the 2024 film Friendship, took Robinson into new territory with a darker and more pathetic take on the same neurotic type.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025
  • In his brightest moments, Mike is boyishly gentle, a little wacky, and modestly proud — all in ways that Dillane manages to make feel both pathetic and delightful.
    Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Actually, more than mad, the guy is heartbroken.
    Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Among those heartbroken fans was DJ Premier, who was one of the first people to comment on his passing.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Volunteers became depressed, irritable, anxious, and withdrawn.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Jeffrey Rignall died in 2000 In the wake of Gacy’s attack, Rignall became depressed and withdrawn, suffering from bouts of vomiting and losing nearly 40 pounds, per The Courier Journal.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mournful. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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