mourning.

1. The expression or period of sorrow following a death, including customary observances.

2. Clothes worn to mark bereavement, traditionally black in some cultural contexts.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• in mourning
• mourning clothes
• period of mourning

On the page

The household remained in mourning long after the official period ended.

She removed the black ribbon but felt no end to her mourning.

For him, tending the grave was a form of mourning.

Usage notes

Primary category: gothic. Grief is the feeling; mourning includes its outward and social forms. Customs vary across cultures. Usually uncountable; separate verb mourn, not an additional headword here.