different between mournful vs dolorous

English

Alternative forms

• mournfull

Etymology

mourn +? -ful

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?m??nf?l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?m??nf?l/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?mo(?)?nf?l/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /?mo?nf?l/
• Hyphenation: mourn?ful

Adjective

mournful (comparative mournfuller or more mournful, superlative mournfullest or most mournful)

1. Filled with grief or sadness; being in a state in which one mourns.
2. Fit to inspire mourning; tragic.
   • 1845, Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher

     Having deposited our mournful burden upon tressels within this region of horror, we partially turned aside the yet unscrewed lid of the coffin, and looked upon the face of the tenant.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:sad

Translations

English

Alternative forms

• dolourous (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English dolorous, from Old French dolerous (modern French douloureux), from Late Latin dol?r?sus (“painful”), from Latin dolor. Doublet of dolorose.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?l???s/, /?do?l???s/

Adjective

dolorous (comparative more dolorous, superlative most dolorous)

1. Solemnly or ponderously sad.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, Book 5, Canto 4:

     Through dolorous despaire, which she conceyved,

     Into the Sea her selfe did headlong throw,

     Thinking to have her griefe by death bereaved.

   • 1645, John Milton, "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity", stanza 14:

     . . . Hell itself will pass away,

     And leave her dolorous mansions to the peering day.

   • 2001 June 24, Stefan Kanfer, "Author, Teacher, Witness," Time:

     As World War II came to a close, the gaunt and dolorous child was liberated at yet another death camp, Buchenwald.

Translations