mourn

verb

ˈmȯrn 

mourned; mourning; mourns

intransitive verb

1

: to feel or express grief or sorrow

When he dies, people throughout the world will mourn.

2

: to show the customary signs of grief for a death

especially : to wear mourning

mourned for thirty days in black clothes

3

: to murmur mournfully

—used especially of doves

transitive verb

1

: to feel or express grief or sorrow for

mourned the death of his son

2

: to utter mournfully

let the whirlwind mourn its requiem

—W. S. Gilbert

mourner noun

mourningly

ˈmȯr-niŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• agonize
• anguish
• bleed
• grieve
• hurt
• sorrow
• suffer

Examples of mourn in a Sentence

She is still mourning her husband, who died last year.

Thousands of people mourned his death.

She was mourned by everyone who knew her.

She mourned the loss of her youth.

He still mourns the fact that he never went to college.

Recent Examples on the Web

Olympian Nancy Kerrigan is mourning those killed on American Airlines Flight 5342, especially the athletes that represented her home club: The Skating Club of Boston. —Lawrence Yee, People.com, 31 Jan. 2025

Political figures from across the U.S. including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) mourned the incident. —Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 31 Jan. 2025

Reeves expressed his condolences, saying the state is mourning the loss of Eaves. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025

In a Facebook group for alumni of Medicine Lodge High School class of 1987, members mourned their fellow classmate Lori, as well as Bob. —Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English murnan; akin to Old High German mornēn to mourn, Greek mermēra care — more at memory

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

mourn

verb

ˈmō(ə)rn 

ˈmȯ(ə)rn

1

: to feel or show grief or sorrow especially over someone's death

2

: to display the customary signs of grief for a death especially by wearing mourning

mourner noun