mournfully
- adverb
- /ˈmɔrnfəlɪ/
- He gazed mournfully out the window, wishing his friend were still around.
- said mournfully
- shook their heads mournfully
- looked mournfully
Examples
-
"What happened?" I asked mournfully, for I, too, had high hopes.
Fiction book (1990) -
The whole doll family sat together on the willow chair and stared out mournfully across the yard.
Fiction book (1992) -
Faith is in bed, wide awake, staring mournfully up at the ceiling.
Fiction book (1994) -
Though he raised his head and honked mournfully, the herd was already turning away.
Fiction book (2002) -
As rain poured, the dog howled mournfully into the lonely night.
Fiction book (2000) -
Jacob's hands are clasped behind his neck and he is staring mournfully at the ceiling.
Fiction book (1990) -
Shukri is horrified and saddened, sitting mournfully next to the dead birds during the ride back home.
Academic text (2007) -
Klondike Pete shook his head mournfully, realizing our predicament for the first time.
Fiction book (1996) -
Looking away, he chomped his carrot mournfully, giving out several forlorn crunches.
Fiction book (1997) -
The only swatch of color comes from the purple-and-black funerary bunting flapping mournfully in the hot breeze drifting up Broadway.
Fiction book (1999)
Synonyms
In an unhappy way because you feel upset
In a sad, soft way that sounds like crying
In a serious and sad way
In a sad way that shows a person is sorry
In a sad way that shows you are unhappy
In a very sad, gloomy way
In a very sad way
In a sad and thoughtful way
In a very sad, quiet way as if someone has died
Antonyms
How Sad
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Mournfully comes from the old verb mourn, which meant 'to grieve' and is like the common word moan that shows sadness. So, to act mournfully is to do something 'in a sad way'.