doleful Hear it!

doleful Definition

dole·ful (dōl′fəl)

adjective

full of or causing sorrow or sadness; mournful; melancholy

Etymology: ME dolful < dol, grief (< OFr doel < VL dolus, grief, pain < L dolere, to suffer < IE base *del-, *dol-, to split, cut) + -ful, -ful

doleful Related Forms

dole′·fully adverb dole′·ful·ness noun

doleful Synonyms

doleful

modif.

sad, sorrowful, mournful, wretched; see sad 1, 2. See syn. study at sad.

doleful Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • eye: And there was a gentle old dog roaming about with doleful eyes.
  • knell: Toll on, thou passing bell; Ring out my doleful knell; Let thy sound my death tell.
  • tune: The caption beneath it read: ' BIG DAVE IS WATCHING YOU ' as the doleful tune of the great BELL rang out.
  • sound: He went on, not without misgivings, and as he drew near he heard the doleful sound of painful moans.
  • hymn: I am the cygnet to this pale, faint swan, Who chants a doleful hymn to his own death.
  • expression: There is Jesus - silent, with a doleful expression on his concrete face, hovering incongruously over the modern world.

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: If they mistakenly selected a pair of numbers which did not total 10, it was met with a rather doleful ' moo ' !
  • suitably: In wealthy households ceremonial mourners would be hired to look suitably doleful.

Used with adjective complement

look: In wealthy households ceremonial mourners would be hired to look suitably doleful.