See Also: doleful(dictionary)
doleful(dictionary)

doleful (iou)



doleful adjective & noun. ME.
[from DOLE noun2 + -FUL.]
A. adjective.
Fraught with or causing sorrow, distressing; gloomy, dismal. ME.
Milton Regions of sorrow, doleful shades.
Of a person etc.: full of pain, grief, or suffering; sorrowful; melancholy, discontented. ME.
Expressive of grief, suffering, or sad regret. ME.
Day Lewis Her pure, rather doleful voice.
b. noun.
In pl. Mourning clothes. rare. Only in M18.
In pl. A doleful state, the dumps. colloq. L18.
dolefully adverb ME.
dolefulness noun LME.