dolorous means solemnly or ponderously sad. It carries an Arena rating of 1525, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, dolorous ranks #3,776 of 17,123 for Most Malleable Words, #4,091 of 17,120 for Most Beautiful Words, #4,175 of 17,111 for Most Sublime Words, #5,804 of 17,114 for Most Satisfying to Say.
dolorous is pronounced /ˈdɒləɹəs/.
Why “dolorous” is a great word
Solemnly or ponderously sad. From Middle English dolorous, from Old French dolerous (modern French douloureux), from Late Latin dolōrōsus ("painful"), from Latin dolor ("pain, grief"). Unlike "doleful," which suggests a mournful listlessness, or "melancholy," which implies a pensive lingering, dolorous carries the full ceremonial weight of sorrow made formal. It is the carved marble face on a cathedral tomb, the slow tolling of a bell through winter fog, the deliberate cadence of a eulogy delivered without breaking voice—a grief worn as a heavy robe, steeped in incense and permanence.
Etymology
From Middle English dolorous, from Old French dolerous (modern French douloureux), from Late Latin dolōrōsus (“painful”), from Latin dolor. Doublet of dolorose.
adj
- Solemnly or ponderously sad.e.g.“Through dolorous despaire, which she conceyved,
Into the Sea her selfe did headlong throw,
Thinking to have her griefe by death bereaved.”
Words closest in meaning
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