mournful
Full of sadness, especially about a loss.
mournful in a sentence
- The dog gave a mournful howl at the gate every day its owner was away.
- Far below the boat, the whales sang a mournful song that sounded full of sadness.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to mournful?
- Asad
- Bcheerful
- Cjoyful
- Dhappy
Show the answer
A: sad. The other three mean the opposite of mournful.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to mournful?
- Asad
- Bjoyful
- Cgloomy
- Dsorrowful
Show the answer
B: joyful. The other three mean nearly the same as mournful.
Words that mean something similar
sad, sorrowful, gloomy
Words that mean the opposite
joyful, happy, cheerful
More words about emotions & feelings
- nauseating: So horrible that it makes you feel sick.
- nauseous: Feeling sick, as if you might vomit.
- nostalgic: Feeling happy and a little sad when you remember good times from the past.
- optimistic: Believing that good things will happen.
- outburst: A sudden explosion of strong feeling, like anger or laughter.
- outrage: A feeling of great anger and shock at something unfair.
- overwhelm: To affect someone so strongly that they can hardly cope.
- pacify: To make someone calm when they are angry or upset.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test