mourned; mourning; mourns
Synonyms of mourn

intransitive verb

1
: to feel or express grief or sorrow
When he dies, people throughout the world will mourn.
often used with for
thousands mourned for him
2
: to show the customary signs of grief for a death
especially : to wear mourning
mourned for thirty days in black clothes
3
: to murmur mournfully
used especially of doves

transitive verb

1
: to feel or express grief or sorrow for
mourned the death of his son
mourning the loss of their youth
2
: to utter mournfully
… let the whirlwind mourn its requiem!W. S. Gilbert
mourner noun

mourner

2 of 2

noun

mourn·​er
-nə(r)
plural -s
1
a
: one that mourns
the book business has outlived most of its mournersAaron Sussman
especially : one who attends a funeral out of respect or affection for the deceased
when he died, the wayward boys he had befriended were among his chief mourners
b
: one hired to attend a funeral or wail for the dead
mourners were provided to attend the funeralRoger L'Estrange
2
: one that publicly repents of his sins at a revival meeting
asks for mourners to come up and be savedJ. H. Stuart

Synonyms of mourn

Examples of mourn in a Sentence

Verb She is still mourning her husband, who died last year. Thousands of people mourned his death. She was mourned by everyone who knew her. She mourned the loss of her youth. He still mourns the fact that he never went to college.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
The shrine provides spiritual comfort for some who mourn relatives and others who visit to express gratitude. ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026 Another moment was marked by mourning, as a man was pulled from a building in the same city, lifeless and covered in a white blanket. CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 As millions continue to mourn the death of Jackie the bald eagle, attention has turned towards another eagle spotted near Jackie’s former partner Shadow and in their nest. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2026 Living in fear of ‘the AIDS’ entails its own ‘long set of disappearing acts’—not just sickness and death, but shame and denial and an inability to mourn. Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mourn

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English murnan; akin to Old High German mornēn to mourn, Greek mermēra care — more at memory

Noun

Middle English morener, from mournen, mornen to mourn + -er

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mourn was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mourn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourn. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: to feel or show grief or sorrow especially over someone's death
2
: to display the customary signs of grief for a death especially by wearing mourning
mourner noun

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