How to pronounce doleful
American English pronunciation
DOHL-ful
- IPA
- /ˈdoʊlfəl/
- Syllables
- DOHL · ful (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
Love words? Try a free round: no sign-up, about two minutes. Play free
What doleful means
Looking or sounding very sad
In a sentence: The puppy gave me a doleful look when I left for school.
Where it comes from: It comes from dole, an old word for grief that we no longer use, plus -ful.
Can you spot the real meaning? Try one
Loading a word…
Can you spot the real meaning? Play Wordfib
One free round, no sign-up. Wordfib shows a word and four meanings: one real, three fibs.