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."

Example Sentences

Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2023

Con profundo dolor e indignación lamento informar que María Belén fue encontrada.

From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2022

In three hours of listless dolor, Matt Reeves’s oppressively dour “The Batman,” which came out this spring, turned its hero into a comically emo Bat-adolescent.

From New York Times • Jul. 20, 2022

With the end in sight the connection between Evans' Endeavour Morse and Thaw's feels closer than ever, previewed in a few surreptitiously placed lines of dialogue and the detective's amplified dolor.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2022

The little girl ghost, Bahar, dripping with river water and dolor, told her solemnly, “Sarai can’t play right now,” which sent a chill up her spine.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor