What does "mourning" mean?

1. (grief and sorrow) the feeling or expression of great sadness because someone has died. 2. (traditional clothes) special dark clothes, usually black, that you wear to show you are sad about a death.

How do you use "mourning"?

Often used with the preposition 'in' to describe a state of being. Usually uncountable in this sense; often appears in the phrase 'in mourning'.

mourning

US //ˈmɔɹnɪŋ// UK //mˈɔːnɪŋ// mourn·ing

1 grief and sorrow (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the feeling or expression of great sadness because someone has died.

the process or state of expressing grief after a death, often involving formal or public observances.

Example

The whole nation was in mourning after the beloved leader passed away.

Example

The period of official mourning lasted for ten days, during which all flags were flown at half-mast and public festivities were cancelled.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'in' to describe a state of being.
- grief
- sorrow
- lamentation
- celebration
- rejoicing
2 traditional clothes (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

special dark clothes, usually black, that you wear to show you are sad about a death.

conventional garments or symbols, typically black in Western cultures, worn as a sign of bereavement.

Example

She wore deep mourning for a year after her husband died.

Example

In the Victorian era, strict social codes dictated the specific fabrics and styles of mourning that a widow was expected to wear.

Usage

Usually uncountable in this sense; often appears in the phrase 'in mourning'.
- widow's weeds
- black

Origin

By surface analysis, mourn + -ing.