deuil

mourning

noun DUH-ee Less Common

Origin: Old French duel (lamentation)

Also means

bereavement

Usage Note

Deuil refers to both the state of grief after a loss and the formal mourning period. The phrase être en deuil means 'to be in mourning', and porter le deuil means 'to wear mourning dress'. Faire son deuil de quelque chose is an idiom meaning 'to come to terms with losing something'.

Examples

"Elle est en deuil depuis la mort de son père."

Natural Translation

She has been in mourning since her father's death.

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