Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Origin: dole 'sadness' (13-19 centuries), from Latin dolere 'to be sad'

doleful

 adjective
     
dole‧ful formal
very sad:
a doleful song about lost love
—dolefully adverb
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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