sorrowful

adjective

sor·row·ful ˈsär-(ˌ)ō-fəl

-ə-fəl,

ˈsȯr-

Synonyms of sorrowful

: full of or marked by sorrow

a sorrowful goodbye

: expressive of or inducing sorrow

sorrowful eyes

sorrowfully

ˈsär-(ˌ)ō-f(ə-)lē

-ə-f(ə-)lē,

ˈsȯr-

adverb

sorrowfulness

ˈsär-(ˌ)ō-fəl-nəs

-ə-fəl-,

ˈsȯr-

noun

Examples of sorrowful in a Sentence

adopted a sorrowful tone of voice to read the news story about the former governor's death the cult seemed to be a sorrowful assemblage of emotionally scarred people seeking love and redemption

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

All four stars ably play the stoic and sorrowful notes required of them, without finding many secondary or contrasting ones in their dialogue. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 The temperature is more than 110 degrees in August but many Iraqi and Iranian pilgrims walk for hundreds of miles to mark the sorrowful event. — Jane Arraf, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 Ulysses expresses sorrowful regret for having disobeyed Zeus’ Law – essentially the Golden Rule – in sacking Troy. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2026 Much like their 1990s grunge and alt-rock contemporaries in America, Canada’s Our Lady Peace were writing and recording murky, sorrowful songs about youthful frustration and adult rage, love lost and societal alienation. — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sorrowful

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of sorrowful was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

sorrower

sorrowful

sorrowfully

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sorrowful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorrowful. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sorrowful

adjective

sor·row·ful ˈsär-ō-fəl

ˈsȯr-,

-ə-fəl

: full of or showing sorrow

a sorrowful good-bye

: expressive of or causing sorrow

sorrowful eyes

sorrowfully

-f(ə-)lē

adverb

sorrowful

adjective

Synonyms of sorrowful

Examples of sorrowful in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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