lament

1 of 2

verb

la·​ment lə-ˈment 

lamented; lamenting; laments

intransitive verb

: to mourn aloud : wail

nightingales lament without ceasing

—L. P. Smith

transitive verb

1

: to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively : mourn

… must regret the imprudence, lament the result …

—Jane Austen

2

: to regret strongly

He lamented his decision not to go to college.

lament

2 of 2

noun

1

: a crying out in grief : wailing

2

: dirge, elegy

3

: complaint

Synonyms

Verb

• bemoan
• bewail
• deplore
• grieve (for)
• mourn
• wail (for)

Noun

• groan
• howl
• keen
• lamentation
• moan
• plaint
• wail

Choose the Right Synonym for lament

deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan mean to express grief or sorrow for something.

deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.

fans bewailed the defeat

purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

Examples of lament in a Sentence

Verb

She lamented over the loss of her best friend.

“I've lost my best friend!” she lamented.

Noun

The poem is a lament for a lost love.

the national lament that was heard when the beloved singer perished in the crash

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Courts in tax cases often lament settlement agreements that are silent. —Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Watch on Hulu Shōgun Game of Thrones fans still lamenting the loss of one of television's great epics have found their new favorite binge-watch in Shōgun, which just took home a record 18 Emmys (with 25 nods altogether). —Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024

Noun

Murphy, in one notable section, laments, Tourism is intrinsically incompatible with travelling. —Tyler Thier, JSTOR Daily, 21 Oct. 2024

But where Knight of Cups often drifts along in a generalized fog of melancholy, Blanchett actually makes the film’s lament for shattered relationships and thwarted potential actually hurt. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English lementen, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French lamenter, from Latin lamentari, from lamentum, noun, lament

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lament

1 of 2 verb

la·​ment lə-ˈment 

1

: to mourn aloud : wail

2

: to express sorrow for : bewail

lamentation

ˌlam-ən-ˈtā-shən

noun

lament

2 of 2 noun

1

: a crying out in grief

2

: a mournful song or poem