a. Forms: α. 1–3 sorhful(l, 3 soreh-, seor(u)hful, sorþfolle; 1 sorʓ-, 3 sorȝ-, 4 sorghful(l, zorȝuol(le; 3–4 sorful, -fol, 4 -uol, zoruol-, 5 sorefull(e, soyrefull. β. 3 serrh-, serehful; 4 serwȝful, 5 serwh-, sereuh-, ser(e)u-, serwful. γ. 3–4 soreuful, 3–5 sorw(e)ful(le. δ. 3–5 soru-, 4–6 soroful(l, 5 sorrofull; 3–6 sorow-, 4–6 sorouful(l, 5– sorrowful (5–7 -full); 6 Sc. sorro(w)fow. [OE. sorh-, sorʓful (f. sorh, sorʓ SORROW sb.), = OHG. sorgful (G. sorgvoll, usually sorgenvoll), ON. sorgfullr (Norw. and Sw. sorgfull, Da. -fuld) and sorgafullr, LG. sōrg(e)ful.]
1. Full of, oppressed by, sorrow or grief; unhappy, sad, regretful.
α. Beowulf, 2119. Grendeles modor siðode sorhfull.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxvi. 183. Se weleʓa bið eaðmod & sorʓfull.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Judg. x. 10. Oð þæt hiʓ … heora synna andetton mid sorhfullum mode.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 83. Sari and sorhfull am ic.
c. 1205. Lay., 1477. Þe king wes swiðe særi & seorhful on mode.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2326. He … nam ðo breðere euerilk on, And ledde hem sorful a-gon.
c. 1275. Lay., 15489. Þo was sori þe king and sorþfolle þorh alle þing.
c. 1300. Havelok, 151. Alle þat the writes herden Sorful an sori til him ferden.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 203. This sorghfull king was so bestad, That he schal nevermor be glad.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 199. He became mournynge and Sorefull.
β. c. 1200. Ormin, 7153. He wass forrdredd & serrhfull inn hiss herrte.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 144. Þen Susan was serwful, and seide in hire þouȝt.
a. 1400. Vernon MS., in Herrig’s Archiv, LVII. 250/1. So sereuhful was þis Bisschope, Þat almost he fel in wonhope.
γ. c. 1300. Havelok, 1248. Sory and sorwful was she ay.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 390. If so be he may hym nat ascuse [He] axith mercy with a sorweful herte.
δ. c. 1205. Lay., 167. Þa wes Turnus sari, & soruful on his mode.
a. 1325. Prose Psalter l. 18. Þou, God, ne shal nouȝt despisen þe hert sorowful and meke.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter cxlvi. 3. Þai þat offirs til him þe sacrifice of sorouful gast.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), I. xxxix. (1859), 43. Ful sorrowful was this Sathanas when he sawe [etc.].
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 57. Preamble, Your seid Suppliaunt is as sorrowfull and repentant as any creature may be.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Esdras viii. 71. I rent my holy garmentes, and … sat me downe soroufull & heuy.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages, 113. Quhairfoir thay war all seuin richt sorrofow.
1579. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 37. Your greate commendation of this sermon maketh me sorrowfull that I had not beene at it.
1676. Hale, Contempl., II. 107. Whatsoever I love, makes me … Sorrowful in the loss or deprivation of it.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 365. If I am in a sorrowful mood.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., II. xxix. While, sorrowful, but undismay’d, The Douglas thus his counsel said.
1882. ‘Ouida,’ Maremma, I. 13. They were all sorrowful.
b. absol. (Chiefly pl.)
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., 183. Ðætte ða sorʓfullan onʓieten ðæt him becumað ða welan.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 953. He saluȝede that sorowfulle with sittande wordez.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 213 b. How they haue comforted the heuy & sorrowfull.
1556. Aurelio & Isab. (1608), M v. Ha poore sorrowfull.
1869. Tozer, Highl. Turkey, II. 324. Nowhere is death represented as a rest after toil, or as coming with a friendly aspect to relieve the sorrowful.
c. Sorrowful tree, the night-jasmine of India.
1597. Gerarde, Herball, III. cxxxviii. 1342. Arbor tristis, the sad or sorrowfull tree waxeth as bigge as an Oliue tree. Ibid., 1343. It is called … in English the Sad or Sorrowfull tree, or the Indian Mourner.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Sorrowful-tree, Nyctanthes.
2. Indicative or expressive of sorrow or grief.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 284. Ȝif eni is þet naueð nout þe heorte þus afeited, mid seoruhfule sikes.
c. 1275. Lay., 3410. He mornede swiþe and þeos word seide mid sorfol speche.
c. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 503. Al er we born gretand, And makand a sorowful sembland.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., liv. 182. Heo caste me mony a serwful loke.
1450. W. Lomner, in Paston Lett., I. 124. I … am right sory of that I shalle sey, and have soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys, that [etc.].
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Foeditas, Sorowfull blacke apparell.
1576. Gascoigne, Philomene, Ded. I had begonne an Elegye or sorrowefull song, called the Complainte of Phylomene.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., III. i. 147. His Napkin … Can do no seruice on her sorrowfull cheekes. Ibid. (1606), Ant. & Cl., I. iii. 64. Where be the Sacred Violles thou should’st fill With sorrowfull water?
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xxxii. Her lovely brow, though sorrowful, bore on it a cast of reviving hope.
1877. Mrs. Forrester, Mignon, I. 225. The poor mother smiles the … sorrowfulest smile that ever hovered on a woman’s lips.
3. Characterized by, involving or inducing, sorrow or grief; distressing, lamentable, doleful.
α, β. Beowulf, 1278. His modor þa ʓyt … ʓegan wolde sorhfulne sið.
a. 1000. Phœnix, 417. Þæt hi feor þonan … drohtað sohton, sorʓfulran ʓesetu.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1112. Hit wæs swiðe hefiʓ tyme & sorhfull þurh ormætne mancwealm.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 179. Serehful is ure burde for eues gulte.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 823. Þis king adde iwend aboute in such soruol cas.
1340. Ayenb., 34. Efter alle þise zorȝuolle poyns of sleuþe him yefþ þe dyeuel.
1370–80. Visions of St. Paul, 173, in O. E. Misc., 228. Þen sauȝ poul a serwȝful siht.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 329. Me is levere forto deie Than live after this sorghful day.
γ, δ. a. 1300. Cursor M., 2785. Þat soruful sin on þam þai thoght … to haue don. Ibid., 7861. Saul es slan, þat soroful king.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 105. I dye for hunger and sorwfull threst.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, V. xii. 124. In Tartarus, the sorofull hellis pit.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 123. Fearyng lest this dissention in Religion should come to some sorowfull ende.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., V. iii. 142. Goe into old Titus sorrowfull house.
1611. Bible, Job vi. 7. The things that my soule refused to touch, are as my sorrowfull meat.
1753. Challoner, Cath. Chr. Instr., 240. The five next are called the dolorous or sorrowful Mysteries.
1788. Cowper, Morning Dream, 32. He … stood looking out for his prey From Africa’s sorrowful shore.
1818. Shelley, Invoc. Misery, vi. Sounds and odours, sorrowful Because they once were sweet.
1871. Alabaster, Buddhism, 245. In order that he might teach men how to escape from sorrowful existence.
4. quasi-adv. = next.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Anel. & Arc., 207. Vppon A day full soroufull wepynge.
1871. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, lxiv. 202. When from an anguish’d heart these words stream’d sorrowful upwards.
