1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
adopted a sorrowful tone of voice to read the news story about the former governor's death
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
the cult seemed to be a sorrowful assemblage of emotionally scarred people seeking love and redemption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sorrowful
Book Club Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
★★★★☆
A beautiful yet sorrowful tale of young love, loss, and second chances between two childhood friends.
—
Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024
With just one episode remaining, the neo-Western sets the stage for sorrowful farewells and fresh beginnings.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2024
For example, a seasoned concierge can often tell if a guest is having a challenging day, is sorrowful or sad about a recent loss, or exhibits other human emotions that show up in quiet cues.
—Jennifer C. Wolfe, Esq., Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Miss Petersen was by then sitting at her desk, her hands grasping the table as if to steady herself and her subtle tears were now pure sorrowful crying.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sorrowful 
Sarah Kinonen, Allure, 27 Nov. 2024
With just one episode remaining, the neo-Western sets the stage for sorrowful farewells and fresh beginnings.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 9 Dec. 2024
For example, a seasoned concierge can often tell if a guest is having a challenging day, is sorrowful or sad about a recent loss, or exhibits other human emotions that show up in quiet cues.
—Jennifer C. Wolfe, Esq., Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
Miss Petersen was by then sitting at her desk, her hands grasping the table as if to steady herself and her subtle tears were now pure sorrowful crying.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sorrowful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorrowful
Adjective
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Outwardly glassy but mournful on the inside, the film is a fairly overt expression of grief — one that’s even more acute coming out just a year after 9/11.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2025
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Sunday's mournful cowboy funeral is attended only by his family, the bunkhouse crew, and three close friends.—
Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez,
The Indianapolis Star,
18 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That history stems from many things, but our sad legacy is behind us.—
Chris Brewster,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Feb. 2025
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Myriad other parties this week included soirees hosted by GQ, which may or may not still publish a magazine, and Sports Illustrated, which cut its once-stellar staff to the bone and became a sad shell of its former self but evidently can still afford to throw a Super Bowl party.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Laviolette puts lines in a blender Clearly unhappy with his team’s effort against Pittsburgh on Friday, Laviolette made drastic changes to his lineup.—
Peter Baugh,
The Athletic,
9 Feb. 2025
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The indie drama follows Diana (Rodriguez), an unhappy teenager who begins training at a boxing gym as a release for her frustrations, only to discover she's got a talent for the sport.—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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Today’s youth can feel depressed by the state of society while remaining incredibly sensitive, inventive, and caring.—
Ben Croll,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
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Man Shares Theory About Why Gen Z Are Depressed By Alice Gibbs Senior Life and Trends Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 20 A 24-year-old marketing agency owner who lives in Tampa, Florida, has sparked discussion after sharing this theory about why Gen Z is depressed.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The funeral mass in Quincy’s Sacred Heart Church will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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On the day after the New England Patriots ended their NFL season with a miserable 4-13 record, team owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo, the team’s first Black head coach.—
Joseph N. Cooper,
The Conversation,
7 Feb. 2025
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In addition to a generally miserable illness, measles can cause complications: 1 in 5 unvaccinated people with measles in the US end up hospitalized.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
7 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near sorrowful
Cite this Entry
“Sorrowful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorrowful. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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