She looks sorrowful and forlorn.
Source: tatoeba (316537)
Sorrowful
/ˈsɔɹoʊfəl/
Synonyms for "sorrowful" (157 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (32)
affectingafflictedafflictiveaggrievedanguishedbitterbleakbluebroken-heartedcareworncheerlesscomfortlesscomplainingcrestfallendarkdejecteddeplorabledepresseddepressingdepressive
Show 2 more words
Verb(1 words)
Adjective(6 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (47)
disconsolatedishearteneddismaldismayingdispiriteddistressfuldistressingdolefuldolorificdolorogenicdolorousdowncastdrearydumb with grieffaultfindingforlornfretfulfunerealgloomygrief stricken
Show 18 more words
Adjective(7 words)
Noun(1 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (78)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: affecting, afflicted, afflictive, aggrieved, anguished.
- Sentence evidence is available for sorrowful, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sorrowful".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sorrowful"
Keep "sorrowful" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sorrowful" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sorrowful", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sorrowful" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
9 entriesbereavedcalamitycatastrophedespairinggrief-strickenmelancholic stylemisfortunesomber moodtragic tone
Collocations
6 entriessorrowful expressionsorrowful gazesorrowful moodsorrowful poemsorrowful scenesorrowful tone
Inflections
2 entriesmore sorrowfulmost sorrowful
Derivations
2 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
33 entriesShowing 16 of 33 words.
Translations
52 translations across 29 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- مُحْزَن adj (full of sorrow)
Armenian
1 entries- վշտալի adj (full of sorrow)
Bulgarian
2 entries- скръ́бен adj (full of sorrow)
- тъ́жен adj (full of sorrow)
Chinese Mandarin
4 entries- 哀愁 adj (full of sorrow)
- 悲傷 /悲伤 adj (full of sorrow)
- 悲哀 adj (full of sorrow)
- 悲痛 adj (full of sorrow)
Cornish
2 entries- ahwerek adj (full of sorrow)
- moredhek adj (full of sorrow)
Czech
2 entries- smutný adj (full of sorrow)
- truchlící adj (full of sorrow)
Dutch
4 entries- bedroefd adj (full of sorrow)
- droevig adj (full of sorrow)
- treurig adj (full of sorrow)
- verdrietig adj (full of sorrow)
Finnish
1 entries- surullinen adj (full of sorrow)
French
2 entries- douloureux adj (full of sorrow)
- triste adj (full of sorrow)
German
4 entries- betrübt adj (full of sorrow)
- kummervoll adj (full of sorrow)
- sorgenvoll adj (full of sorrow)
- traurig adj (full of sorrow)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐍂𐍃 adj (full of sorrow)
Hindi
1 entries- दुःखी adj (full of sorrow)
Hungarian
1 entries- bús adj (full of sorrow)
Ingrian
1 entries- murhekas adj (full of sorrow)
Iranian Persian
1 entries- غَمْناک adj (full of sorrow)
Irish
1 entries- aiféalach adj (full of sorrow)
Japanese
2 entries- 悲しい adj (full of sorrow)
- 痛ましい adj (full of sorrow)
Korean
1 entries- 슬프다 adj (full of sorrow)
Macedonian
2 entries- скр́бен adj (full of sorrow)
- та́жен adj (full of sorrow)
Middle English
1 entries- sorweful adj (full of sorrow)
Māori
3 entries- aroaroā adj (full of sorrow)
- tuarea adj (full of sorrow)
- whakapoururu adj (full of sorrow)
Old English
2 entries- ċeariġ adj (full of sorrow)
- ġeōmor adj (full of sorrow)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- سوخته adj (full of sorrow)
Polish
1 entries- smutny adj (full of sorrow)
Portuguese
1 entries- magoado adj (full of sorrow)
Russian
3 entries- гру́стный adj (full of sorrow)
- печа́льный adj (full of sorrow)
- ско́рбный adj (full of sorrow)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- brònach adj (full of sorrow)
Spanish
1 entries- triste adj (full of sorrow)
Turkish
3 entries- acılı adj (full of sorrow)
- müteessir adj (full of sorrow)
- üzüntülü adj (full of sorrow)
Sample sentences
12 total sentences available.
In hard times, in sorrowful times, let's try doing something for other people.
Source: tatoeba (328535)
My eyes are filled with tears when I think about our beloved elderly, who dedicated their whole lives to their children, and now find themselves alone and sorrowful in an empty nest.
Source: tatoeba (1126421)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Source: tatoeba (2700019)
Showing 4 of 12 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sorrowful"?
Closest matches include affecting, afflicted, afflictive, aggrieved, anguished.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sorrowful"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.