1
as in mournful
expressing or suggesting mourning
a doleful expression on their faces as they said good-bye to the friends they had made over the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
feeling unhappiness
the visibly doleful players, heartbroken about their loss
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of doleful
But those doleful practical consequences are all around us.
—
Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 25 June 2024
In a doleful irony, his digital rerecording of the piece, taken at a more stately tempo and with other changes, would be the last Gould album released by Columbia before his untimely death at age 50 in 1982.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
With his bulldog build and his doleful countenance, Mr. Young amassed more than 160 film and television credits.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023
The elderly sage was cast as a doleful penitent, making up for youthful indiscretions.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for doleful 
Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 25 June 2024
In a doleful irony, his digital rerecording of the piece, taken at a more stately tempo and with other changes, would be the last Gould album released by Columbia before his untimely death at age 50 in 1982.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
With his bulldog build and his doleful countenance, Mr. Young amassed more than 160 film and television credits.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2023
The elderly sage was cast as a doleful penitent, making up for youthful indiscretions.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for doleful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doleful
Adjective
-
Angelo Badalamenti’s mournful, string-laden score draws us in, emphasizing the quaintness of the visuals, while also suggesting a deeper pain at the core of this place.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shared a sorrowful story across their social media feeds about a mournful looking cat.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
January 26, 2025: Once again, the Bills lose their playoff game against the Chiefs, sparking a bunch of sad Josh Allen edits on TikTok.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
-
In a sad irony, her grieving family strives to live by Maggie’s words and channel her spirit.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN,
26 Jan. 2025
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
-
Witherspoon presents Margot not as some unhappy bachelorette, but as a modern, self-reliant woman.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2025
-
The Thailand-set season sees a new crop of unhappy, rich vacationers at a luxurious resort.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The funeral procession that climaxes Emilia Pérez is the damnedest, craziest thing since Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic minions draped kente cloth stoles over their shoulders and kneeled to canonize George Floyd at the Capitol.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Jan. 2025
-
On Thursday, dozens of people took part in funeral prayers outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah for people killed in Israeli strikes the day before.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s high-end real estate ambitions with GOP connections Gen Z employees are stressed, depressed, and burnt out: Study Netflix keeps raising prices.—
Quartz Bot,
Quartz,
22 Jan. 2025
-
The study also reveals that 46 percent of Gen Z felt stressed (compared to the 35 percent employee average), 35 percent felt depressed (compared to 20 percent average), 44 percent felt burned out (compared to 34 percent), and 30 percent felt isolated (compared to 22 percent).—
Jess Thomson,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
When Tai Shan was sent to China and separated from his parents, Nguyen was heartbroken.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
-
And now, a heartbroken mom has gone viral on TikTok, opening up about losing her 3-year-old daughter to invasive Strep A in 2022.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
After a miserable year for the run defense, Morgan is hoping to give the trenches a facelift in free agency and the draft.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2025
-
Continued his everyday process like nothing was wrong, would come home and be miserable.—
Ryan Canfield,
Fox News,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near doleful
Cite this Entry
“Doleful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doleful. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share