Definition

Feeling or showing sadness and sorrow; expressing grief or mourning.

Example

She had a doleful expression after hearing the bad news.

Conversation

Did you see that movie we talked about?

Yeah, it was really good, but it had such a doleful ending.

I know, right? I felt so sad after watching it.

Same here! It really stuck with me for a while.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Doleful → It is formed from "dole" (from Old English *dola*, meaning sorrow or grief) and "-ful" (meaning full of). The word "doleful" means full of sorrow or expressing grief.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dole' as representing sorrow, and '-ful' means full of. This helps you remember that 'doleful' describes someone or something that is full of sorrow.

Visually Confused Words