Doleful
Mournful; sorrowful; filled with or expressing sadness.
adjectiveDoleful
Mournful; sorrowful; filled with or expressing sadness.
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Imagine This
Bob Dole was extremely sad and tearful when he lost the election to Bill Clinton.
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Sounds Like
DOHL-fəl
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Looks Like
doleful looks like dole + ful — 'dole' meaning sorrow + 'ful' meaning full of
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Remember This
Doleful emphasizes a strong, visibly sorrowful mood; it is more formal or literary than everyday words like sad or unhappy.
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Other Forms
dolefulnessnoun
dolefullyadverb
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Connect With
mournful, sorrowful, melancholy; lugubrious; dreary; sadness, grief
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Note
Use doleful for vivid, somber sadness. It is not interchangeable with milder terms such as 'sad' or 'unhappy' in serious contexts.