noun
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a person who mourns, esp at a funeral
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(at US revivalist meetings) a person who repents publicly
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mourner
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mourn, -er 1
Explanation
Anyone who is grieving for a person who has died is a mourner. Funerals give mourners the opportunity to remember and say goodbye to a loved one. While a mourner is anyone who mourns someone's death, the word is often used to mean "person attending a funeral." In some cultures, throughout history, professional mourners were people who were hired to publicly display their grief at the funeral of some well-known figure. Today, most mourners are family members and friends — people who knew the person well and grieve their death.
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 whole community is numb," another mourner says.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Another mourner cited the product’s affordability, lamenting that Minute Maid’s frozen juice concentrates were “a must” for households that relied on WIC/SNAP benefits.
From Salon ● Feb. 6, 2026
Mexican mourner Maotzin Contreras-Bejarano in Marchesi, dressed all in black but with her lips painted the famous red, told AFP: "I really wanted to be here, I had to be here."
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
One mourner called KitKat ‘the best city bodega cat anyone could ever ask for. His lil pet requests meant a lot for some of us.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
Milo had come to Yossarian’s tent just to read the letter again, following his carton of lost provisions across the squadron like a mourner.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
After Harald's death was announced early on Friday, crowds amassed at the royal palace in Oslo, laying flowers and flags, some mourners visibly in tears.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Dozens of mourners gathered in front of 44 coffins at the emotional service, as police announced that the death toll had risen to 46.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
During the funeral procession, some mourners shoulted, “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is great.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
President Trump, members of Congress, world leaders, cabinet secretaries and television hosts were among the mourners assembled at the National Cathedral in Washington.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
He turned and walked away, joining the other mourners at the graveside.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
