doleful Hear it!

doleful Definition

dole·ful (dōlfəl)

adjective

full of or causing sorrow or sadness; mournful; melancholy
also Raredolesome dole′·some (-səm)

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

Related Forms:

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.
doleful Quotes

'Yestreen I dreamed a dolefu'dream; I ken'd here wad be sorrow! I dreamed I pu'd the heather green, On the dowie banks o' Yarrow.' She gaed up yon high, high hillö I wat she gaed wi'sorrowö An' in the den spied nine dead men, On the dowie houms o' Yarrow.

—Ballads

Browse dictionary entries near doleful

  1. doled
  2. dole out
  3. dole
  4. doldrums
  5. dolce vita
  6. dolce far niente
  7. dolce
  8. Dolby
  9. dolabriform
  10. dojos
  1. dolefully
  2. dolefulness
  3. dolerite
  4. dolesome
  5. dolichocephalic
  6. dolichocephalous
  7. dolichocephaly
  8. doling
  9. doll
  10. doll up