Doleful
Mournful; sorrowful; filled with or expressing sadness.
adjectiveDoleful
Mournful; sorrowful; filled with or expressing sadness.
adjectiveImagine This
Bob Dole was extremely sad and tearful when he lost the election to Bill Clinton.
Sounds Like
DOHL-fəl
Looks Like
doleful looks like dole + ful — 'dole' meaning sorrow + 'ful' meaning full of
Remember This
Doleful emphasizes a strong, visibly sorrowful mood; it is more formal or literary than everyday words like sad or unhappy.
Other Forms
Connect With
mournful, sorrowful, melancholy; lugubrious; dreary; sadness, grief
Note
Use doleful for vivid, somber sadness. It is not interchangeable with milder terms such as 'sad' or 'unhappy' in serious contexts.
Study Deeper
- The doleful melody matched the mourners' somber mood.
- Her doleful expression betrayed the gravity of the news.
From Middle English dol(e)ful, from Old English dol (sorrow) + -ful (full of).
DOLE-FUL sounds like 'doll full' — picture a doll full of tears to remember 'full of sorrow.'
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