funereal expression

8.4

A very sad, serious look that shows deep sadness

noun
/fjʊˈnɪrɪəl ɪkˈsprɛʃən/

: expresión fúnebre

He entered the room with a funereal expression, making everyone fall silent.

Examples

She wore a funereal expression during the ceremony.
Despite the festive atmosphere, his funereal expression stood out among the smiling faces.
Her funereal expression revealed the depth of her sorrow at the news.
Why does he have that funereal expression on his face?
She wore a funereal expression at the memorial service, reflecting her deep sorrow.
The actor's funereal expression during the dramatic scene conveyed the gravity of the moment.
His funereal expression made it clear that he was mourning the loss of his friend.

Synonyms

sober look

vsfunereal expression

1 5.1

A serious face that shows little or no emotion

is more deeply sad and clearly suggests mourning or deep solemnity

How Mournful

funereal expression

8.4

somberness

1 6.5

sad-faced

1 3.6

Surface Forms

funereal expression singular

funereal expressions plural

Morphology

funereal + expression

The meaning is directly compositional: 'funereal' (suggestive of a funeral or sadness) modifies 'expression' (a visible facial sign), so together they clearly mean a very sad or solemn look. This is a regular adjective + noun combination with no idiomatic shift, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Funereal expression comes from the quiet faces you see at a 'funeral', where a funereal face is very still and sad and the expression shows deep sadness. So the phrase now means a very serious, mourning look, meaning 'very sad'.