doleful

American  

[dohl-fuhl] / ˈdoʊl fəl /

adjective

1. sorrowful; mournful; melancholy.

   a doleful look on her face.

---

doleful British  

/ ˈdəʊlfʊl /

adjective

1. Archaic word: dolesome.  dreary; mournful

---

Other Word Forms

• dolefully adverb
• dolefulness noun

Etymology

Origin of doleful

First recorded in 1225–75, doleful is from the Middle English word dol-ful. See dole ², -ful

Explanation

To be doleful is to be down in the dumps, to have a hole in your soul, to be full of woe. Doleful has nothing to do with a doe, a deer or a female deer. Unless one of those animals has a really sad look in its eyes. Expressions can be doleful, ditto a song or a set of circumstances. You can use the adjective doleful to describe something that is bringing you down, that makes you want to give into gravity or crawl into bed. Doleful is pretty much the opposite of how a ray of golden sun can make you feel.

Example Sentences

With his doleful singing voice and a prolific work rate, he's transformed the sound of música urbana, combining elements of trap, hip-hop and R&B with the traditional sounds of Latin pop.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

When no one is around, the doleful ex-judge listens to Italian gangsta rap, and sometimes even raps along with it, suggesting he isn’t quite the stereotype others assume him to be.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

She was among about 200 mourners accompanying Alanis García on his doleful final journey through his hometown.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

As Hagen, the production’s linchpin, the bass Mika Kares, a newcomer to the cast, was most memorable: aggressive and doleful, stony and agonized, shambling around the set like the overgrown child he is.

From New York Times • Aug. 1, 2023

“It was my little daughter,” said Parsons with a sort of doleful pride.

From "1984" by George Orwell