mourn

American  

[mawrn, mohrn] / mɔrn, moʊrn /

verb (used without object)

1. to feel or express sorrow or grief.

   Synonyms:

   bemoan, bewail

   Antonyms:

   rejoice, laugh

2. to grieve or lament for the dead.

3. to show the conventional or usual signs of sorrow over a person's death.

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verb (used with object)

1. to feel or express sorrow or grief over (misfortune, loss, or anything regretted); deplore.

2. to grieve or lament over (the dead).

3. to utter in a sorrowful manner.

mourn British  

/ mɔːn /

verb

1. to feel or express sadness for the death or loss of (someone or something)

2. (intr) to observe the customs of mourning, as by wearing black

3. (tr) to grieve over (loss or misfortune)

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Related Words

See grieve.

Other Word Forms

• overmourn verb
• unmourned adjective

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."

Example Sentences

"When my body stopped working as it should I actually began to mourn my old self," she said.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

Yet Mahajan’s individualistic Chopras each still celebrate and mourn.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Xander Harris may have been the “normal” one in a cast of extraordinary characters, but Brendon’s performance ensured he was unforgettable — both to fans and to the colleagues who mourn his passing.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

I mourn for all the children who lost years of critical education during COVID-19.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

In Kelanna, when they mourn, they tell stories—as if the stories will keep you close to them.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

Related Words

• ache
• agonize
• bemoan
• complain
• cry
• deplore
• fret
• grieve
• lament
• moan
• regret
• sob
• wail
• weep
• yearn