mourn
Americanverb (used without object)
-
mourns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mourned,
past participle, past
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mourning
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
mourns,
present (3rd person singular)
-
mourned,
past participle, past
-
mourning
present participle
-
to feel or express sorrow or grief over (misfortune, loss, or anything regretted); deplore.
-
to grieve or lament over (the dead).
-
to utter in a sorrowful manner.
verb
-
to feel or express sadness for the death or loss of (someone or something)
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(intr) to observe the customs of mourning, as by wearing black
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(tr) to grieve over (loss or misfortune)
Synonym Usage
See grieve.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mournsimple
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mournssimple
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have mournedperfect
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has mournedperfect
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am mourningprogressive
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are mourningprogressive
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is mourningprogressive
-
have been mourningperfect progressive
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has been mourningperfect progressive
Past
-
mournedsimple
-
had mournedperfect
-
was mourningprogressive
-
were mourningprogressive
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had been mourningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mourn
First recorded before 900; Middle English mo(u)rnen, Old English murnan; cognate with Old High German mornēn, Old Norse morna, Gothic maurnan
Explanation
To mourn is to grieve for someone who has died, especially a loved one. One of the hardest experiences of childhood is when you mourn the loss of a beloved pet. You can also mourn for things that you've lost, not only pets and people who have died. If your local library branch is forced to close, you might mourn its loss, missing being able to walk there from your house. The Old English root word of mourn is murnan, which means not only to mourn, but also to be anxious. Related words include "mourner" and "mournful."
Vocabulary lists containing mourn
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The world of football has come together to mourn the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Mr. Logan warns the careless away from parking on gravesites and prevents bridal photo shoots from disturbing those who have come to mourn the more recently deceased.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
Dozens of people gathered on Friday outside the school to mourn the children who were killed in the collapse, which officials blamed on dilapidated infrastructure.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
“This whole idea that people aren’t allowed to mourn or remember is really troubling to me,” she said.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
He never understood that it’s possible to miss what you’ve never had, to mourn for it.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
An EU spokeswoman said the bloc was "ready to help Spain if needed", while European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said "Europe mourns" with the victims after the "devastating news".
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
In “Barn Raiser,” he mourns strict materialism as an empty exercise, challenging those “to whom nothing matters but matter.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
The Sikh Coalition noted that the DHS post comes as the country mourns the 25th anniversary of 9/11, after which Sikhs were targeted for hate crimes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Flags at government sites are flying at half-mast and security vehicles are parked in the heart of Beijing, as China mourns former Premier Zhu Rongji.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"The only puzzle is what you might have offered for his allegiance. The prince is a sentimental man, and he still mourns his sister Elia and her sweet babe."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Former Mexican presidents from across the political spectrum, as well as foreign leaders, mourned his death.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
“Across the world, families have endured separation, communities have mourned, and many have searched for peace, comfort, and healing,” reads the event’s official website.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
I noted Mamdani’s explanation that the vigil had mourned both Israeli and Palestinian deaths.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
The country's largest and most influential traditional institution, the Buganda Kingdom, said it mourned with the people of Tooro following the death of their monarch, labelling him a valuable figure to Uganda.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
When Hermod reached Hela with the gods’ petition, she answered that she would give Balder back if it were proved to her that all everywhere mourned for him.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Radev declared Wednesday a day of national mourning following the incident.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
Tesla fans have been mourning the news online, with one person calling it "the best vehicle Tesla has ever made, external" as he lamented it being "discontinued next year".
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Spain was observing the second of three days of national mourning on Friday, with the public demanding answers just weeks before an early general election on November 29.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
A man mourning the loss of his wife is offered respite from his grief by the promise of a job with an art exhibition on an island refuge for the extremely wealthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
Funeral banners swayed before her, and farther away stood two figures shrouded with the pale coarse clothes of mourning.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
