What does mournful mean?
Mournful is an adjective meaning sorrowful, grief-stricken, or suggestive of mourning. It can describe a person who is grieving, a voice or expression that communicates sorrow, and a sound, scene, or event that evokes sadness. The word is especially natural in literary contexts and in descriptions of loss, such as a death, separation, or farewell. “Mournful” also carries a slightly poetic or old-fashioned quality, so writers often choose it when they want language to sound reflective or emotionally elevated rather than merely factual. It should not be confused with “morning,” which refers to the early part of the day, or with “mortal,” which concerns death or, idiomatically, extreme hostility. The adjective is formed from the older verb “mourn,” meaning to grieve, and appears in related forms such as “mournfully” and “mournfulness.”
adjectiveFeeling or expressing sorrow, especially because of a loss. It can also describe something that causes or evokes sadness.
- Feeling, experiencing, or expressing sorrow, especially in response to a loss.
- Causing or evoking sadness or a feeling of mourning.
"The mournful sound of the empty church bells echoed through the village."
"She gave a mournful answer and turned away before anyone could see her tears."
"The old house looked especially mournful in the fading afternoon light."
Some of the most powerful music in the world is not happy or sad, but mournful: it turns absence into a sound we can feel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mournful come from?
The word is formed in English from “mourn” plus the suffix “-ful,” meaning full of. “Mourn” developed through Middle English from Old English “murnan,” an inherited Germanic verb associated with sorrow and grief; related forms include “mourner” and “mourning.” The resulting adjective has long been used for both sorrowful people and things that express or evoke mourning.
Related word forms
How mournful is actually used
Mournful is common in both formal and literary English. It often describes a person's expression, voice, or appearance, or a place, sound, or event associated with grief. In modern usage it is usually less severe and less formal than elegiac or funereal language.
Easily confused with mournful
Mournful means sorrowful or grief-stricken, whereas mortal means subject to death or, in the phrase mortal enemy, intensely serious.
Mournful describes sorrow, while morning refers to the early part of the day or the time after sunrise.