1
: expressing sorrow : sorrowful
a mournful face
a mournful howl
2
: full of sorrow : sad
a mournful occasion
3
: causing sorrow or melancholy : gloomy
mournful news
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
The song closes with a coda of saz and mandolin, mournful and hopeful in equal measure.
—
Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
The plaintive melodies are mournful yet comforting.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Here, his mournful ex-convict is finally tasting freedom in a country that wants to keep him metaphorically shackled.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
There was something mournful in watching Jackson grapple with the realization that his fame, talent, or the myth of him could save him from the reckoning or the boundaries of appropriate behavior with children.
—Steven Gray, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
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.
Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
The plaintive melodies are mournful yet comforting.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 12 May 2026
Here, his mournful ex-convict is finally tasting freedom in a country that wants to keep him metaphorically shackled.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
There was something mournful in watching Jackson grapple with the realization that his fame, talent, or the myth of him could save him from the reckoning or the boundaries of appropriate behavior with children.
—Steven Gray, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mournful
Cite this Entry
“Mournful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mournful. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
