dolour: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Literary, Archaic, Poetic
Quick answer
What does “dolour” mean?
A state of great sorrow, distress, or grief.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A state of great sorrow, distress, or grief; deep sadness or anguish.
Literary, poetic, or formal term for mental suffering or lamentation. Often denotes a profound, dignified, or enduring sorrow rather than transient sadness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling 'dolour' is the standard British English form. The American English spelling is 'dolor'. Both share the same meaning and register.
Connotations
Identical connotations of formal/literary grief. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British texts due to historical literary influence.
Frequency
Exceedingly rare in everyday speech in both varieties. Slightly higher relative frequency in UK English due to the spelling's presence in the King James Bible and classic literature, but overall usage is minimal.
Grammar
How to Use “dolour” in a Sentence
[be] in dolour[be] filled with dolour[express/feel] dolourdolour of [something]a [adjective] dolourVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “dolour” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The elegy sought to dolourize the nation's loss.
adverb
British English
- He spoke dolorously of the past.
American English
- She sighed dolorously, recounting the tale.
adjective
British English
- She gave a dolorous sigh, her dolour evident.
American English
- His dolorous expression spoke of a deep, private dolor.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Never used.
Academic
Possible in literary analysis, historical texts, or theology. Extremely rare.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Would sound archaic or pretentious.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “dolour”
Strong
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “dolour”
- Using it in casual conversation.
- Spelling it as 'doller' or 'dolor' in a British context.
- Using it as a countable noun (e.g., 'a dolour').
- Mispronouncing it to rhyme with 'colour' (the second syllable is a schwa, not /aʊə/).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is considered archaic, literary, and very formal. It is almost never used in everyday speech or writing.
'Dolour' implies a deeper, more profound, and often more dignified or enduring sorrow, and is used in a formal/literary register. 'Sadness' is a general, everyday term.
The standard American English spelling is 'dolor' (without the 'u').
No, 'dolour' is a noun. The corresponding adjective is 'dolorous' (meaning 'feeling or expressing great sorrow').
A state of great sorrow, distress, or grief.
Dolour is usually formal, literary, archaic, poetic in register.
Dolour: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdɒlə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdoʊlər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Man of Sorrows (and acquainted with dolour/grief - biblical reference)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of DOLLAR, but full of sorrow—imagine a sad coin, or 'DO LOUD lamentations' for DO-LOUR.
Conceptual Metaphor
SORROW/PAIN IS A PHYSICAL BURDEN (e.g., 'weighed down by dolour'), SORROW IS A FLUID IN A CONTAINER (e.g., 'filled with dolour').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'dolour' be LEAST appropriate?