What does doleful mean?
Word: Doleful
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Doleful means very sad, especially in the way someone looks or sounds.
Synonyms: sorrowful
Antonyms: cheerful
How do you spell doleful?
Syllables: dole - ful
Tricky part: The e before the ending stays. Pupils in a hurry often leave it out and write dolful.
Watch out for: dolful, doalful
Memory tip: Hopeful and careful both hold on to their e, and doleful does too.
Doleful in a sentence
Example 1: The clouds over the empty playground gave the morning a doleful air.
Example 2: A doleful tune drifted from the flute in the next room.
Example 3: He told the story of his lost kite with a doleful sigh.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to an Old French word for grief. Eeyore, the grey donkey friend of Winnie-the-Pooh, is a well-loved example of a doleful speaker.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
One letter in this word is not needed. Find it:
dolleful
a) f
b) e
c) o
d) l
Show answer
d) l. Only one consonant comes before the first e.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
The puppy gave us one flodeul look when we left for school.
a) doleful
b) dreadful
c) doubtful
d) delightful
Show answer
a) doleful. Seven letters with no r, a, b, g or h: only one fits.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word doleful as used in the sentence:
Aman's doleful face told us the picnic had been called off.
a) gloomy
b) sombre
c) joyful
d) dismal
Show answer
c) joyful. Joyful is the reverse of Aman's unhappy face.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
d_lef_l
a) a, u
b) o, a
c) o, e
d) o, u
Show answer
d) o, u. The first beat has the long o of hole.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sound could be called doleful?
a) a slow, low tune on a lone violin
b) a quick drum beat at a parade
c) a loud cheer from a happy crowd
d) a bright, skipping tune on a violin
Show answer
a) a slow, low tune on a lone violin
2. Ravi said, Nobody remembered my birthday, in a doleful voice. How did he sound?
a) low and unhappy
b) calm and pleased
c) loud and angry
d) quick and excited
Show answer
a) low and unhappy
