mourn

/mɔːn/ (bre, ipa) · /mɔːrn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯrn/ (ame, mw)

mourn — verb

  • mournpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mournshe / she / it
  • mournedpast simple
  • mourning-ing form

1. to feel deep sadness and show it openly, usually because someone close to you ha

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to feel deep sadness and show it openly, usually because someone close to you has died, or because something important has been lost forever.

例句

The school community mourned a head teacher who taught there for forty years.

transitive: mourn + loss of [person]

Mei-Lin mourned for months after her grandmother passed away during the winter holiday season.

intransitive: mourn for + duration

同義詞
  • grieve

    Focuses more on the internal emotion; 'mourn' includes both feeling and outward expression.

  • lament

    More formal and literary; often implies a public or passionate expression of sorrow.

  • sorrow

    Verb form is less common and more poetic; 'mourn' is the everyday word.

反義詞
  • celebrate

    To show joy and happiness rather than grief.

  • rejoice

    To feel and show great happiness, opposite of mourning.

文法句型

mourn + person/thing

mourn for/over + person/thing

用法筆記

Can be used both literally for a death and metaphorically for losing something valued (a way of life, a place, an era). When the object is a person, they are usually a loved one or highly respected figure.

常見錯誤

❌I mourned for the bus that left without me.
✅I regretted missing the bus.
💡Mourn is only used for serious, significant losses, not everyday inconveniences.

2. to follow the traditional ceremonies and customs that a particular culture or re

2.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to follow the traditional ceremonies and customs that a particular culture or religion expects after a death, such as wearing special clothes or holding a memorial service.

例句

The family mourned for forty days according to their religious tradition.

intransitive: mourn for + specified period

In this culture, widows mourn by wearing white clothes for a year after the funeral.

mourn by + [custom] to show the method

同義詞
  • observe

    More general term for following a custom; 'mourn' is specific to death.

  • grieve

    Focuses on emotion rather than ritual; these two senses of 'mourn' are not perfect synonyms.

文法句型

mourn + duration

mourn + person (by observing customs)

用法筆記

Frequently used with a time expression ('for three days', 'for a year') that describes the prescribed mourning period. The object is the deceased person; the specific custom is described after 'by' or 'with'.

常見錯誤

❌They mourned black clothes for a month.
✅They mourned by wearing black clothes for a month.
💡Mourn itself does not mean 'wear'; use 'by + -ing' to describe the custom.