dolor

American  

[doh-ler] / ˈdoʊ lər /

especially British, dolour

noun

1. sorrow; grief.

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Etymology

Origin of dolor

1275–1325; Middle English dolour (< Anglo-French ) < Latin dolor, equivalent to dol ( ēre ) to feel pain + -or -or ¹

Explanation

If you need a poetic way to say "sorrow," use the word dolor. Your sad-eyed dog might express a great deal of dolor when you leave him alone for the day. You can use dolor to talk about heartache or sadness, like the dolor of guests at a funeral or a winter sky's gray dolor as the days get shorter. No matter how you use the noun dolor, it's going to have a poetic sound to it. It's more common to come across the adjective dolorous, or "full of sorrow." In Latin, dolor means "pain or grief."