Mournful means full of sadness or grief, especially the deep sadness that comes with loss. When something is mournful, it expresses or suggests sorrow. A mournful expression shows sadness on someone's face. A mournful song has a slow, sad melody that makes listeners feel the weight of loss or longing.

You might hear mournful music at a funeral or memorial service, where people gather to remember someone who has died. The low, slow notes of a cello can sound mournful. A dog's mournful howl when its owner leaves might make you think the dog feels genuinely sad about being alone.

The word connects to mourning, which is the period of grief after someone dies. But mournful can describe any deep sadness, whether about death, loss, or other sorrows. A character in a story might give a mournful sigh after losing an important competition, or speak in a mournful voice about a friendship that ended painfully. The word suggests genuine, heartfelt sorrow that touches something deep inside, beyond ordinary disappointment.