doleful
adjective Mournful or full of sorrow; causing grief. The doleful look on her face told me she had not gotten the grant to go to the summer program. |
rudiments
noun (plural) 1. A basic principle or skill. This book teaches the rudiments of cooking, but it will not make you a master chef. 2. An undeveloped or beginning stage. The rudiments of the club’s plan to raise money seemed promising until we discussed them more, at which point we realized how unrealistic they were. |