Showing results for "mourning"

• present participle of mourn.

mourning

American  

[mawr-ning, mohr-] / ˈmɔr nɪŋ, ˈmoʊr- /

noun

1. the act of a person who mourns; sorrowing or lamentation.

   Antonyms:

   rejoicing

2. the conventional manifestation of sorrow for a person's death, especially by the wearing of black clothes or a black armband, the hanging of flags at half-mast, etc.

3. the outward symbols of such sorrow, as black garments.

4. the period or interval during which a person grieves or formally expresses grief, as by wearing black garments.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in mourning.

mourning British  

/ ˈmɔːnɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or feelings of one who mourns; grief

2. the conventional symbols of grief, such as the wearing of black

3. the period of time during which a death is officially mourned

4. observing the conventions of mourning

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adjective

1. of or relating to mourning

Other Word Forms

• unmourning
  adjective
• mourningly
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of mourning

before 900; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English murnung (noun). See mourn, -ing ¹, -ing ²

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Explanation

Mourning is a time of sadness because of a loss. When you're in mourning after a loved one dies, it is good to lean on your friends who understand why you are so sad. Mourning is an expression of grief or a time of grieving that follows a loved one's death or other serious loss. Depression, confusion, even losing interest in friends and social activities all can occur when someone is in mourning. An old-fashioned meaning of mourning is specifically the black clothing people traditionally wear following a death. Don't confuse mourning with morning, the early part of the day.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mourning

A man mourning the loss of his wife is offered respite from his grief by the promise of a job with an art exhibition on an island refuge for the extremely wealthy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday after its second high-speed rail collision this year killed 68 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones.

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Spain is beginning three days of mourning after at least 68 people were killed and dozens more were injured in one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

“There’s a sense of mourning, of fight and of objection. There’s a tension in something that’s this beautiful that’s also about decay and destruction.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026

The mourning of the hippies, in particular, had an almost anthropological significance.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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Related Words

• grief

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