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:
Olga, another mourner who taught the younger daughter to draw, said both sisters were talented and outgoing, and described their death as an "inexpressible pain".
From Barron's ● May 19, 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
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
"She was a lady that never did harm. She was very peaceful and hard-working," said one mourner as family, friends and colleagues gathered for a big funeral at her local mosque.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025
It was Faith Taylor, as in the Faith Taylor, looking all weepy and gorgeous, the only mourner whose honeyed brown skin hadn’t paled under the harsh lights.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
The Catholic service, conducted in Armenian, was open-casket, allowing mourners a final chance to say goodbye as they filed by the altar at the conclusion of the ceremony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The 84-year-old will be buried at a Belgrade cemetery on Monday, in a ceremony expected to draw thousands of mourners despite international condemnation.
From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026
Following the ceremony, mourners began paying their respects at the late King's coffin, which is lying in state at the Royal Palace until 8 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
During the funeral procession, some mourners shoulted, “Allahu Akbar!” or “God is great.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Behind the mourners from school days’ past sat the throng of people who had heard and loved his electric blues guitar licks.
From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
