mourning

[ mawr-ning, mohr- ]
/ ˈmɔr nɪŋ, ˈmoʊr- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR mourning ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person who mourns; sorrowing or lamentation.
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.
the outward symbols of such sorrow, as black garments.
the period or interval during which a person grieves or formally expresses grief, as by wearing black garments.

adjective

of, relating to, or used in mourning.

Origin of mourning

before 900; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English murnung (noun). See mourn, -ing1, -ing2

OTHER WORDS FROM mourning

mourn·ing·ly, adverb un·mourn·ing, adjective

Words nearby mourning

mourne mountains, mourner, mourner's kaddish, mourners' bench, mournful, mourning, mourning band, mourning becomes electra, mourning cloak, mourning dove, mourning iris

Definition for mourning (2 of 2)

mourn
[ mawrn, mohrn ]
/ mɔrn, moʊrn /

verb (used without object)

to feel or express sorrow or grief.
to grieve or lament for the dead.
to show the conventional or usual signs of sorrow over a person's death.

verb (used with object)

to feel or express sorrow or grief over (misfortune, loss, or anything regretted); deplore.
to grieve or lament over (the dead).
to utter in a sorrowful manner.

Origin of mourn

before 900; Middle English mo(u)rnen, Old English murnan; cognate with Old High German mornēn, Old Norse morna, Gothic maurnan

OTHER WORDS FROM mourn

o·ver·mourn, verb un·mourned, adjective

Words related to mourning

grief, weeping, darkness, aching, wailing, bereavement, languishing, crying, woe, lamenting, blackness, keening, repining, lamentation, moaning, pining, grieving

Example sentences from the Web for mourning

British Dictionary definitions for mourning (1 of 2)

mourning
/ (ˈmɔːnɪŋ) /

noun

the act or feelings of one who mourns; grief
the conventional symbols of grief, such as the wearing of black
the period of time during which a death is officially mourned
in mourning observing the conventions of mourning

adjective

of or relating to mourning

Derived forms of mourning

mourningly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for mourning (2 of 2)

mourn
/ (mɔːn) /

verb

to feel or express sadness for the death or loss of (someone or something)
(intr) to observe the customs of mourning, as by wearing black
(tr) to grieve over (loss or misfortune)

Word Origin for mourn

Old English murnan; compare Old High German mornēn to be troubled, Gothic maurnan to grieve, Greek mermeros worried