Meaning & use
mournful
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Full of deep sadness, especially sadness over a loss or death.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a mournful face, or the tune was mournful.
Patterns
- a mournful look
- a mournful voice
He gave a mournful sigh when he saw the empty house.
The widow's mournful face told everyone how much she missed him.
The crowd stood in mournful silence beside the grave.
adjectivecomparableliterary
Producing a slow, sad sound or atmosphere that seems to express grief.
Grammar: Often describes sounds or scenes rather than people: a mournful howl, a mournful sky.
Patterns
- a mournful sound
- a mournful tune
A mournful horn sounded across the foggy harbor.
The dog let out a mournful howl at the gate.
The violin played a mournful tune late into the night.
Word forms
| comparative | more mournful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most mournful |
Common combinations
- mournful cry
- A mournful cry echoed from the hills.
- mournful expression
- He wore a mournful expression at the funeral.
- mournful tune
- The band played a mournful tune as the procession passed.
- mournful silence
- They sat in mournful silence after hearing the news.
- mournful eyes
- The old hound looked up with mournful eyes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sorrowful
- Sorrowful is a plain, direct word for sadness, while mournful adds a sense of grieving, especially for a loss.
- doleful
- Doleful suggests a gloomy, sometimes slightly exaggerated sadness, whereas mournful sounds more sincere and grave.
- plaintive
- Plaintive describes a sad sound that seems to ask for help or pity, while mournful sounds grieving.
- woeful
- Woeful is dramatic and can also mean very bad, as in woeful performance, whereas mournful always concerns sadness.
Opposites
Word family
- mourn verb
- to feel and show sadness after a death or loss
- mournfully adverb
- in a sad, grieving way
- mournfulness noun
- the quality of being mournful
- mourner noun
- a person who attends a funeral or grieves for someone
Commonly confused: mournful or mourning?
mournful vs mourning
Mourning is the noun for the period or act of grieving after a death. Mournful is the adjective for a person, sound, or mood that expresses sorrow.
Practice
A reporter writes that the crowd fell into a mournful silence. What was the mood?
Choose one answer.
Mournful points to grief or sorrow, so the silence was sad and respectful. Anger or boredom would need different adjectives.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mournful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.