noun
-
a person who mourns, esp at a funeral
-
(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:
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
"It could have been my son, quite simply," said one mourner, Mina, welling up with tears.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 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
"I have come here to mourn an icon of Africa," one mourner, Dixon Ochieng, told the BBC, while others could be heard to cry out "we are orphans" in their grief.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025
The woman reminded Josie’s father of a mourner at a funeral, and even five years after his wife’s death, that felt right to him.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Traditional burial practices – where mourners touch the deceased's body - and a suspicion of health authorities in some communities have also made things difficult.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 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
In March, Chinese authorities banned entombing cremated remains in empty apartments, a practice that took off as mourners tried to dodge rising funeral costs.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Most of the mourners were old widows for whom funerals were a form of entertainment.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
