doleful Definition
- 1expressing sorrow; mournful
- 2causing grief or misfortune
Using doleful: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "doleful" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The funeral march was a doleful tune.
Example
She had a doleful expression on her face.
Example
The news of the accident was doleful.
Example
The doleful sound of the church bell signaled the end of an era.
doleful Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for doleful
Phrases with doleful
Example
She gave me a doleful look when I told her the bad news.
Example
The musician played a doleful tune on his guitar.
Example
The doleful news of the plane crash shocked the nation.
Origins of doleful
from Old English 'dol', meaning 'pain, sorrow'
Summary: doleful in Brief
'Doleful' [ˈdoʊlfəl] is an adjective that describes something that expresses sorrow or causes grief. It can be used to describe a facial expression, as in 'She had a doleful expression on her face,' or a tune, as in 'The funeral march was a doleful tune.' 'Doleful' is often used in formal contexts and can be considered a synonym of 'mournful' or 'melancholy.'