mourning

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmȯr-niŋ How to pronounce mourning (audio)
1
: the act of sorrowing
She is still in mourning for her dead husband.
2
a
: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death
lots of people there, and only one man in full mourningArnold Bennett
b
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dressesHenry Reed

Examples of mourning in a Sentence

a day of national mourning She is still in mourning for her dead husband. The whole town was in mourning. a period of deep mourning His widow was dressed in mourning.
Recent Examples on the Web Sunday has been declared a day of mourning in Odesa, according to the city’s administration. Maria Kostenko, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 The afternoon began with pastors Darron L. Edwards and Emanuel Cleaver III praying for healing in a time of mourning in the Kansas City community. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 As the mourning concluded at the cemetery and Amal's aunt placed a poster of the girl at the spot where she was killed, the disturbing hum of drones resumed overhead. Diego Ibarra Sánchez, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 At the colonel’s wake, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, stood in mourning beside the C.I.A. station chief. Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Collective mourning Hali met Nex at an LGBTQ youth meeting for Youth Services of Tulsa last year. Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 A day of mourning, prayer and fasting, Christians often use the three hours of Christ’s death, as well as the day, to reflect and remember God’s love and promise of eternal life. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 21 Feb. 2024 Experts say the decision is up to the caregiver, but funerals or other rituals around death give children the opportunity to participate with the family and community in traditions of mourning. Suzie Glassman, Parents, 20 Feb. 2024 President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency, and the country entered a period of mourning. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mourning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mourning was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near mourning

Cite this Entry

“Mourning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mourning. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

mourning

noun
mourn·​ing ˈmōr-niŋ How to pronounce mourning (audio)
ˈmȯr-
1
: the act of grieving
2
: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death
to wear mourning
3
: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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