mourn
gb/mˈɔɹn/ us/mˈɔɹn/
B2
English
~ 27900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
feel or show grief for death
To feel or show great sadness after someone dies.
Usage pattern:
[someone] mourn [someone] / mourn for [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *mourn about someone* or *mourn on someone*. The usual patterns are *mourn someone* (He mourns his father) or *mourn for someone* (She mourns for her friend). Also, do not confuse *mourn* with *morning* (the early part of the day) or *moan* (to make a complaining sound).
Synonyms
grieve (Very close in meaning, but slightly broader; can also be used for serious non-death losses.)
Antonyms
rejoice (Means to feel or show great joy, the emotional opposite of mourning a death.)
Collocations
mourn her death
|mourn a loved one
|mourn the dead
|mourn for the victims
|deeply mourned
|publicly mourn
Themes
emotions
|family
|life_and_death
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The whole family gathered to mourn her passing.
- Thousands came to the church to mourn the fallen soldiers.
- He still mourns his father, even after many years.
- We mourn those who lost their lives in the earthquake.
- She needed time alone to mourn for her late husband.
Learner examples
- The woman mourns her dead husband.
- People stand in silence to mourn the victims.
- He mourns his friend every year on this day.
- Many fans mourn the singer after the accident.
- They mourn for the children who died in the fire.
Verb
C1
action
2
feel grief over non‑death loss
To feel or show great sadness because you lose something important, or because something good ends.
Usage pattern:
[someone] mourn [something] / mourn the loss of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think *mourn* is only used for death. It is also natural for serious non‑death losses: *mourn the loss of your home*, *mourn the end of an era*. Be careful not to use it for small, everyday disappointments; in those cases, words like *miss*, *regret*, or *be sad about* are more natural.
Synonyms
lament (More formal and literary; often used for public or thoughtful regret about change or loss.)
Antonyms
welcome (To accept or greet something with pleasure, the opposite of mourning its loss or end.)
Collocations
mourn the loss of
|mourn the end of
|mourn a relationship
|mourn a way of life
|mourn lost opportunities
Themes
emotions
|society
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many locals still mourn the loss of the old neighborhood.
- Fans continue to mourn the breakup of the band.
- Writers often mourn the decline of careful reading.
- She quietly mourned the end of the friendship.
- Some people mourn the passing of what they see as simpler times.
Learner examples
- He mourns the loss of his job.
- People in the town mourn the closing of the factory.
- She mourns the end of her marriage.
- Many students mourn the loss of free time after school.
- The city still mourns the loss of its old theater.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
publicly observe mourning
To show sadness in an official or public way after a death or tragedy.
Usage pattern:
[a group] mourn [someone/something]
Synonyms
commemorate (Focuses more on remembering and honoring, not always on deep sadness, and is often more ceremonial.)
Antonyms
ignore (To pay no public attention to an event, the opposite of joining in a shared act of mourning.)
Collocations
a nation mourns
|the country mourns
|mourn a leader
|mourn together
|join in mourning
Themes
society
|politics
|emotions
|communication
Examples
- The entire nation is mourning the loss of its former president.
- Citizens gathered in the main square to mourn the victims of the bombing.
- For three days the country will mourn and flags will fly at half-mast.
- Communities around the world mourn together after such disasters.
- Leaders from many countries came to mourn him at the state funeral.
Learner examples
- The country mourns the dead leader.
- People around the world mourn the victims.
- The city will mourn for three days.
- Fans meet in the stadium to mourn their star.
- Many nations mourn together after the tragedy.
Verb
literary
C2
action
4
make a low, sad sound
When something like wind or a bell makes a low, sad sound, as if it is very unhappy.
Usage pattern:
[something] mourn
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this literary sense with people, as in *He mourned in the distance* to describe a sound. For sounds, it is safer to use verbs like *cry*, *wail*, *howl*, or *sound sad* in normal speech; this use of *mourn* is mainly literary.
Synonyms
wail (Describes a long, high, crying sound; not always as quiet or low as *mourn* in this literary sense.)
Antonyms
ring out (To sound loud and clear in a strong way, contrasting with the soft, sad quality of a sound that 'mourns'.)
Collocations
mournful wind
|bells mourn
|doves mourn
|mourn in the distance
Themes
literature
|nature
|sound
|weather
|emotions
Examples
- Church bells mourn softly in the fog.
- Outside, the wind seemed to mourn around the empty house.
- High above them, the doves mourned in the dark trees.
- In the night, a distant horn mourned across the valley.
- The old ship's whistle mourned as it left the harbor for the last time.
Learner examples
- The wind mourns around the old house.
- Bells mourn in the quiet town.
- In the story, birds mourn in the dark trees.
- A low horn mourns across the sea.
- At night, the train mourns in the distance.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mourn
IPA
GB/mˈɔɹn/
US/mˈɔɹn/
Syllables & stress
mourn (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mourn)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: mourn
- 3rd Person Singular: mourns
- Present Participle: mourning
- Past: mourned
Word family
Expressions
a nation mourns
1/ə nˈeɪʃən mˈɔɹnz/
fixed phrase
formal
a whole country shows grief
Used when a whole country feels and shows great sadness after an important person dies or a big tragedy happens.
Examples
- Headlines read, "A nation mourns" after the disaster.
- As a nation mourns, people gather in public squares to light candles.
- For days, a nation mourns while flags fly at half-mast.
mourn in silence
1/mˈɔɹn ˈɪn sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
grieve quietly without speaking
To show that you are very sad, but without talking, crying loudly, or making any noise.
Examples
- Some people prefer to mourn in silence.
- They sat together and mourned in silence after the funeral.
- He chose to mourn in silence rather than talk about his pain.
mourn the loss of
1/mˈɔɹn ðə lˈɔs əv/
fixed phrase
feel deep sadness about a loss
To feel and often show great sadness because you no longer have someone or something important.
Examples
- She still mourns the loss of her mother.
- Many employees openly mourned the loss of their jobs.
- Fans around the world mourned the loss of the team’s star player.
mourn with [someone]
1/mˈɔɹn wˈɪθ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
formal
share and support another’s grief
To feel sad together with another person and show that you share their pain after a loss.
Examples
- We mourn with the families who lost loved ones.
- Neighbors came to mourn with her after her husband died.
- Leaders around the world said they mourned with the victims’ relatives.