Doleful
/ˈdoʊl.fəl/noun
Expressing or causing sorrow; mournful.
Did you know?“Doleful” is related to an ancient Indo-European root for pain and grief, the same deep family behind words like “dolor,” so sorrow has been echoing through languages for thousands of years.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*del-
“to hurt, split, or tear”
Latin
Latin
dolēre
“to feel pain, grieve”
Latin
Latin
dolōsus / dolorosus
“full of pain; sorrowful”
Old French
Old French
dolif / doelif
“sorrowful, doleful”
Middle English
English
doleful
“full of grief; lamenting”
Modern English
English
doleful
“mournful or expressing sorrow”