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
After evening fell, a somber, sorrowful crowd in the hundreds kept a vigil by the memorial.
—
Jack Brook, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
As the two catch up, Crudup veers from good-natured to sorrowful to bitter to menacing in a matter of minutes.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
Even at its most sorrowful, anti-authoritarian, and smart-alecky, Gunn’s work endorses a fundamentally promising vision of life.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Her sorrowful expression left many people in tears, and many shared their hopes for an adoption.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorrowful
Jack Brook, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026
As the two catch up, Crudup veers from good-natured to sorrowful to bitter to menacing in a matter of minutes.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
Even at its most sorrowful, anti-authoritarian, and smart-alecky, Gunn’s work endorses a fundamentally promising vision of life.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Her sorrowful expression left many people in tears, and many shared their hopes for an adoption.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorrowful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorrowful
Adjective
-
Such memories flowed freely this week on social media and in mournful first-person essays.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Newsom shakes his head, seeming more mournful than angry.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
To many, this is a sad, depressing thought.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Shortly after the film begins, Jago returns home from the war alone with the sad news that Seamus has been killed.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
Incensed, Oseguera plotted revenge in 2009 and 2010 with others who were unhappy with Milenio’s new leadership and spearheaded a deadly coup.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Last summer, the city also confirmed that since Crow Tow took over vehicle releases from the Police Department, no appeals hearings had been held for anyone unhappy with impounding or the prices the company charges.—
Lee Rood,
Des Moines Register,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That title follows the tragic story of British teenager Molly Russell, who was driven by social media to take her own life in 2017, and her heartbroken father’s quest to uncover the truth behind her death.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
25 Feb. 2026
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Savannah Guthrie and her heartbroken family are now offering a $1 million reward in hopes of receiving information about the whereabouts of their mother, Nancy Guthrie, who went missing from her Tucson, Arizona, home nearly a month ago.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rent to pay Wongchingchai started to worry about the longevity of Thai Soon in 2025, when inflated ingredient prices, depressed sales, looming tax fees and lingering COVID-19 woes pushed her to borrow money from her uncle, her mom and her friends.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Her skull would incurred permanent damage, as it would have been distorted or depressed on the right side, as per the press release, which affected her appearance.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
An imam was hauled up from his small room adjacent to his small mosque and ordered to get ready to lead the funeral prayers of a very important man.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
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After the visitation, there will be the funeral procession, where Elliott will be laid to rest in Crown Hill Cemetery.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Schaeffer acknowledged that the Rockies were bad at baserunning — and many other baseball basics — during Colorado’s miserable 119-loss season in 2025.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Frank Lampard, who returned for a second miserable stint as caretaker boss in 2023.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sorrowful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorrowful. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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