verb

mourn

mawn

verb

To feel or express deep sadness, especially over someone's death.

"The whole town mourned the loss of its longtime mayor."

"She still mourns her grandmother, who passed years ago."

To observe the customs associated with grief, such as wearing black or holding a period of remembrance.

"The family mourned for a full year, as was the custom."

How to Use Mourn

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo grieve, usually for someone who has died.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "morn" (poetic for morning) or "mown" (past participle of mow) — all three sound alike.

Easily confused with

morn → mown

Common pairings

mourn a loss mourn the dead mourn deeply

mourned past tense, mourns plural, mourns singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “mourn” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The whole town _____ the loss of its longtime mayor.

From Old English murnan, "to grieve," related to a Germanic root shared with the French word morne, "gloomy."

adjourn