1. (a.) Full of grief; sad; sorrowful; doleful; dismal; as, a dolorous object; dolorous discourses\.

2. (a.) Occasioning pain or grief; painful.

affecting afflicted afflictive aggrieved anguished bitter bleak calamitous careworn cheerless comfortless deplorable depressing depressive dire discomforting dismal dismaying distressful distressing doleful dolorific dolorogenic dreary dumb with grief grief-stricken griefful grieved grievous heartbreaking in grief joyless lamentable lugubrious miserable mournful moving painful pathetic piteous pitiable plaintive plangent plunged in grief poignant regrettable rueful ruthful sad saddening sharp sore sorrowed sorrowful sorrowing tearful touching uncomfortable woebegone woeful wretched