mourning

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmȯr-niŋ 

1

: the act of sorrowing

She is still in mourning for her dead husband.

2

a

: an outward sign (such as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person's death

lots of people there, and only one man in full mourning

—Arnold Bennett

b

: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown

after a long mourning, resume their ordinary dresses

—Henry Reed

Examples of mourning in a Sentence

a day of national mourning

She is still in mourning for her dead husband.

The whole town was in mourning.

a period of deep mourning

His widow was dressed in mourning.

Recent Examples on the Web

His sudden, tragic passing left thousands around the globe in mourning. —Daysia Tolentino, NBC News, 23 Oct. 2024

The photo depicts her in black mourning clothes, with a widow’s veil. —Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2024

The clip shows that mourning can be complex and sadness isn’t altogether negative. —Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2024

An Ohio school district is in mourning after a head-on crash killed one of its students and left another hospitalized. —Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mourning

• go into mourning
• mourning cloak
• mourning dove

Kids Definition

mourning

noun

mourn·​ing ˈmōr-niŋ 

ˈmȯr-

1

: the act of grieving

2

: an outward sign (as black clothes or a black arm band) of grief for a person's death

to wear mourning

3

: a period of time during which signs of grief are shown