1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
2
: full of sorrow : sad
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournfulness
noun
Examples of mournful in a Sentence
she had such a mournful expression that someone teasingly asked if her dog had died
the mournful survivors of the disaster were faced with the grim task of burying the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
Prospective Xbox players can hear the final version of the haunting, mournful Atlamaha-ha piece in EW’s exclusive reveal of a live-action music video shot for South of Midnight.
—
Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025
In the mournful mid-section, keyboardist Rick Wakeman channels Bach on the pipe organ, recorded at a London church.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
Here, Gallardo’s work was represented eclectically: Clay sculptures stood alongside paintings with muted palettes and mournful figurations focusing on her mother’s unsuccessful ambition to paint professionally.
—Fabiola Iza, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mournful
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Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025
In the mournful mid-section, keyboardist Rick Wakeman channels Bach on the pipe organ, recorded at a London church.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
Here, Gallardo’s work was represented eclectically: Clay sculptures stood alongside paintings with muted palettes and mournful figurations focusing on her mother’s unsuccessful ambition to paint professionally.
—Fabiola Iza, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mournful
adjective
mourn·ful
ˈmō(ə)rn-fəl 
ˈmȯ(ə)rn-
1
: expressing or full of sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
2
: causing sorrow
a mournful story
mournfulness
noun
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