adjective B2 Upper-Intermediate

mournful

MAWN-fuhl

Mournful (adjective) means Full of sadness or grief. Example: “A mournful silence fell over the room after the announcement.”

adjective

Full of sadness or grief.

"A mournful silence fell over the room after the announcement."

"The violin played a mournful tune at the funeral."

How to use mournful

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSad in a deep, grieving way.

Common pairings

mournful tone mournful expression mournful music

mournfuller comparative, more mournful comparative, mournfullest superlative, most mournful superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

A _____ silence fell over the room after the announcement.

From "mourn" plus "-ful."

What does “mournful” mean?

The word “mournful” means full of sadness or grief. In plain terms, sad in a deep, grieving way.

How do you pronounce “mournful”?

“Mournful” is pronounced MAWN-fuhl (/ˈmɔɹnfəl/ in IPA).

How do you use “mournful” in a sentence?

Here is “mournful” used in a sentence: “A mournful silence fell over the room after the announcement.”

What part of speech is “mournful”?

“Mournful” is an adjective.

Vocabulary lists that include mournful: