verb
mourn
mawn
verb
1
To feel or express deep sadness, especially over someone's death.
"The whole town mourned the loss of its longtime mayor."
"She still mourns her grandmother, who passed years ago."
2
To observe the customs associated with grief, such as wearing black or holding a period of remembrance.
"The family mourned for a full year, as was the custom."
How to Use Mourn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo grieve, usually for someone who has died.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "morn" (poetic for morning) or "mown" (past participle of mow) — all three sound alike.
Easily confused with
morn →
mown
Common pairings
mourn a loss
mourn the dead
mourn deeply
Word Forms
mourned past tense, mourns plural, mourns singular
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The whole town _____ the loss of its longtime mayor.
Etymology
From Old English murnan, "to grieve," related to a Germanic root shared with the French word morne, "gloomy."