Dolorous
/ˈdɒl.ər.əs/noun
Causing or expressing great sorrow or grief.
Did you know?Dolorous entered English through Old French from Latin dolorosus, built on dolor, meaning 'pain' or 'sorrow'—the same emotional root behind a whole family of words for suffering.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*del-
“to split, tear, or rend”
Latin
Latin
dolere
“to feel pain, grieve”
Latin
Latin
dolor
“pain, grief, sorrow”
Old French
Old French
dolor(e)us
“full of grief or pain”
Middle English
English
dolorous
“sorrowful, full of grief”
Modern English
English
dolorous
“causing or showing sorrow”