mourn
MORN
/mɔːrn/
To feel or express deep grief and sorrow, especially over someone's death.
Describes both private emotional suffering and outward social rituals of grief.
The story behind the word. From Old English 'murnan', traceable back to Proto-Germanic '*murnanan' (to remember with sorrow). It has maintained its exact core meaning of grieving deeply for over a thousand years.
Word relationships
- grieve: Grieve emphasizes inner emotional anguish; mourn emphasizes the expression and process.
- lament: Lament usually involves vocal or written expressions of grief.
- rejoice: To feel or express great joy and delight.
- celebrate: To honor a happy occasion with festivities.
Commonly confused with
- morn: Morn is a poetic abbreviation for morning; mourn means to grieve.
Word family
- mourner (noun): A person who attends a funeral or expresses grief.
- mournful (adjective): Feeling, expressing, or inducing sadness and grief.
- mourning (noun): The expression or period of sorrow for someone who died.
Collocations
- mourn the loss
- mourn deeply
- nation mourns
- time to mourn
Example sentences
- "The entire nation gathered to mourn the loss of its beloved leader." Personal loss
- "She needed time to mourn her father's death before returning to work." Grieving period
Memory hook
MOURN sounds like MORNING: waking up to a gloomy morning of deep sorrow. Sorrow carried deep within the heart.
When not to use
Do not use for slight disappointments or mild regrets like losing a soccer match.
Fun facts
- In Victorian England, standard social etiquette prescribed strict 'periods of mourning' lasting up to two years with mandatory black attire.
Related words
Explore more words
grieve, lament, doleful, bereavement, condolence, remembrance
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