mourning
gb/mˈɔɹnɪŋ/ us/mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
process
1
Grief after a death
sadness that people feel and show when someone has died.
Usage pattern:
mourning for [someone]; mourning after [a death]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse mourning with morning. Mourning is usually uncountable: say a period of mourning, not a mourning, in ordinary use.
Synonyms
grief (the deep sadness itself, not necessarily its outward expression)
|
bereavement (the state of having lost someone close through death)
|
sorrow (more general sadness, not always connected with death)
Antonyms
rejoicing (the expression of happiness rather than grief)
|
celebration (a happy public or social marking of an event)
Collocations
deep mourning
|private mourning
|shared mourning
|collective mourning
|mourning process
|time for mourning
|space for mourning
|mourning after a death
|mourning for a loved one
|mourning and remembrance
Themes
death
|emotions
|family
Examples
- The memorial service gave the family a quiet space for mourning.
- Mourning can feel different for each person.
- Her private mourning continued long after the funeral.
Learner examples
- His mourning lasted many months.
- Mourning is hard after a death.
Verb
B2
process
2
Grieving a death or loss
feeling very sad because someone died or because you lost something important.
Usage pattern:
be mourning [someone/something]; mourning the death/loss of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Mourn can take a direct object: you can say mourn someone or mourn the loss of someone. Do not confuse mourning with morning.
Synonyms
grieving (the most common general word for feeling deep sadness after a death or loss)
|
lamenting (more formal or literary; often suggests expressing sorrow openly)
|
missing (less formal and often less intense; focuses on feeling someone’s absence)
Antonyms
celebrating (showing happiness or approval instead of sadness)
|
rejoicing (feeling or showing great joy, the emotional opposite of mourning)
Collocations
mourning the loss of someone
|mourning the death of someone
|mourning a loved one
|mourning victims
|still mourning
|publicly mourning
|quietly mourning
|a community mourning
Themes
death
|emotions
|loss
Examples
- Thousands of fans are mourning the death of the actor.
- She is still mourning her husband.
- The town is mourning the loss of two firefighters.
Learner examples
- I am mourning my friend.
- They are mourning a loss.
Noun
B2
process
3
Formal period of grief
a time when people officially or traditionally show sadness after a death or tragedy.
Usage pattern:
a period/day of mourning; [official/national] mourning
Common mistake:
Use of with time expressions: three days of mourning, a period of mourning.
Synonyms
observance (a formal act or period of respect, not always sad)
|
commemoration (remembrance of a person or event, not necessarily focused on grief)
|
tribute (an action or statement showing respect, usually shorter or more specific)
Antonyms
celebration (a happy public marking rather than a sad one)
|
festivity (a joyful social event, opposite in mood)
Collocations
mourning period
|period of mourning
|day of mourning
|national mourning
|official mourning
|public mourning
|mourning rituals
|mourning customs
|mourning practices
|mourning ceremony
Themes
death
|culture
|rituals
|government
Examples
- The government declared three days of mourning after the earthquake.
- During the mourning period, flags were flown at half-staff.
- Some cultures have strict rules about mourning after a parent dies.
Learner examples
- The country had a day of mourning.
- The mourning period lasted a week.
adjective
B2
property
4
Related to grieving death
connected with sadness and customs after someone has died.
Usage pattern:
mourning [clothes/rituals/family]
Common mistake:
This adjective is usually placed before a noun: mourning clothes, mourning rituals.
Synonyms
funerary (more formal; connected with funerals and burial customs)
|
memorial (connected with remembering someone, not always with grief)
|
bereaved (used for people who are grieving, not for objects or customs)
Antonyms
festive (suitable for celebration rather than grief)
|
celebratory (expressing happiness or honor rather than sadness)
Collocations
mourning clothes
|mourning dress
|mourning rituals
|mourning customs
|mourning period
|mourning band
|mourning jewelry
|mourning veil
|mourning wreath
|mourning relatives
Themes
death
|culture
|rituals
|clothing
Examples
- Mourning rituals vary widely from one culture to another.
- She wore a black mourning dress to the service.
- The mourning relatives asked reporters to leave.
Learner examples
- They wore mourning clothes.
- Mourning customs are different in each culture.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mourning
IPA
GB/mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
US/mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
mourn - ing (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mourn)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mourning
- Plural: mourning, mournings
Expressions
go into mourning
1/ɡˈoʊ ˈɪntu mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Begin grieving publicly
to start a time of showing sadness after someone dies.
Examples
- The nation went into mourning after the president was killed.
- After the crash, the hockey club went into mourning and postponed its next game.
- The royal household went into mourning for several weeks.
in mourning
1/ˈɪn mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Grieving after a death
sad because someone has died.
Examples
- She was still in mourning for her father when she returned to work.
- The village was in mourning after the ferry disaster.
- Traditionally, widows were expected to dress in black while in mourning.
mourning clothes
1/mˈɔɹnɪŋ klˈoʊðz/
fixed phrase
Clothes for grieving
dark clothes worn after someone has died.
Examples
- Guests were expected to wear mourning clothes at the service.
- In the old photograph, she is dressed in traditional mourning clothes.
- He packed his mourning clothes before traveling to the funeral.
mourning dove
1/mˈɔɹnɪŋ dˈʌv/
fixed phrase
North American dove
a kind of dove whose call sounds sad.
Examples
- A mourning dove called from the telephone wire.
- Mourning doves are common in many parts of North America.
- The soft cooing outside the window came from a mourning dove.
national mourning
1/nˈæʃnəl mˈɔɹnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
Official national grief
a time when a whole country officially shows sadness after a death or tragedy.
Examples
- The president declared a week of national mourning for the victims.
- Flags were lowered during the period of national mourning.
- The funeral was broadcast live as the country observed national mourning.