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dolorous

dolorous

1 9.9
Feeling or showing deep sadness because of a loss
  • adjective
  • /ˈdoʊlərəs/
  • Literature
translation icon : doloroso
  • The dolorous music played throughout the ceremony, leaving everyone in a somber mood.

It's how I hate the Night, also known as Marvin's Lullaby, which is a short dolorous duty of no tone or indeed tune.

Examples

  • After losing her pet, she wore a dolorous expression that reflected her deep sorrow.

  • His dolorous words spoke volumes about the pain he felt after the tragic event.

  • Even if what befalls us seems like the most dolorous situation.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • My long-planned journey back turned dolorous.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "Well spoken, O knight of the dolorous countenance!

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Distantly, we hear a dolorous soprano.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • In the dolorous hours, she twitched in nightlit shadows of her mother's house.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • And yet Giles was driven to complete this dolorous, if inspiring, ritual in the most exacting manner.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The decaying houses seem dolorous and expectant; the life within them unnaturally interrupted.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Though many may seem dolorous and remorseful over the fact that we have made gods of material things and earthly honors, Holy Week is still celebrated because it is indeed a celebration.

    Blog text (7)

Synonyms

sad
vsdolorous
1.0

Feeling unhappy or upset because of something

is stronger, indicating great sorrow or severe distress rather than mild sadness
dismal
vsdolorous
62 4.5

Making you feel sad and hopeless

refers to felt sorrow and personal distress rather than an external gloom
melancholy
vsdolorous
37 5.9

Feeling or showing deep sadness

is more about intense sorrow and acute distress than general gloom
tearful
vsdolorous
26 1.8

Showing you are about to cry because of a strong feeling

focuses on deep mournful feeling rather than visible tears alone
glum
vsdolorous
23 4.1

Looking or feeling sad and quiet

expresses deeper sorrow and stronger emotional suffering
teary
vsdolorous
21 2.0

Having eyes that look ready to cry

describes intense internal sorrow and distress rather than tearfulness only
weepy
vsdolorous
20 3.7

Feeling like you want to cry easily

is stronger, expressing deep sorrow and profound distress
mournful
vsdolorous
18 3.9

Feeling deep sadness because of a loss

leans more toward acute distress and intense sorrow
sorrowful
vsdolorous
14 3.6

Feeling very sad because of loss or disappointment

stresses strong sorrow and distress rather than just sadness after loss
plaintive
vsdolorous
10 7.9

Having a sad sound that makes people feel unhappy

focuses on deep inward sorrow rather than just a sad sound
melancholic
vsdolorous
5 7.2

Feeling deep, quiet sadness

is sharper and more about strong, immediate grief or distress
woeful
vsdolorous
3 6.0

Feeling very sad and showing deep sorrow, like after bad news

emphasizes mournful sorrow rather than broad misery or complaint
doleful
vsdolorous
3 8.2

Feeling or showing deep sadness

focuses more on intense sorrow and severe personal distress
elegiac
vsdolorous
  • Literature
2 9.1

Showing sad feelings about something lost or in the past

is broader, covering present deep sorrow not only past loss
lachrymose
vsdolorous
  • Literature
1 9.9

Showing sadness or making people want to cry

focuses on feeling great sorrow rather than causing tears specifically
dolourous
vsdolorous
  • Archaic
9.9

Full of deep sadness

is the modern common form with identical sorrowful meaning
dirgeful
vsdolorous
9.6

Very sad in a way that sounds like a funeral song

captures personal sorrow and distress rather than a ritual tone

Antonyms

111 1.0

Happy in a way you show with a smile or friendly actions

70 1.0

Feeling or showing great happiness

11 4.0

Feeling very happy and excited because of good news or success

How Sad

inconsolable
10 7.2
dolorous
  • Literature
1 9.9
sorrowful
14 3.6
sad
1.0

Surface Forms

dolorous positive

Morphology

dolorous = dolor (semi-transparent) = dolor + ous

The adjective is formed regularly with the suffix '-ous' meaning 'full of', but the noun 'dolor' is rare in modern English so learners may not recognise the base.

Etymology

Dolorous comes from the Latin root dolor, which means 'pain' or 'sorrow', and you can see the same root in the English word doleful. So, dolorous describes someone or something that shows deep sadness or grief.