lament 1 of 2

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as in to regret
to feel sorry or dissatisfied about the youth lamented not having spent more time with his late grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lament

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb lament differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lament are bemoan, bewail, and deplore. While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

How do bewail and bemoan relate to one another, in the sense of lament?

Both 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

When is it sensible to use deplore instead of lament?

The words deplore and lament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lament
Verb
In the villages in San Marcos that also celebrated festivals this week for the Black Christ of Esquipulas, some participants lamented losing many youth to migration. Giovanna Dell'orto, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2025 More than a few right-of-center commentators are earning good money today while lamenting the relentlessly left-wing atmosphere on college campuses. John Tamny, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
Just the same time, there’s a case for optimism within Troy’s own lament. John Tamny, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024 One of the movie industry’s many recent laments is that 2024 has given us no Barbenheimer—no box-office showdown between two thrillingly brainy blockbusters, cemented together in the cultural imagination and in the commercial stratosphere. Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lament 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament
Verb
  • American flags are back to full-staff at the U.S. Capitol in honor of Donald Trump's inauguration, breaking from the U.S. flag code's guidelines for mourning a president.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
  • People arrived in the City of Brotherly Love to mourn the majestic ship that’s nearly as long as the Chrysler Building.
    Danny Freeman, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • In the two months since the election, some report regretting their choice, as debates over H-1B visas led to a spike in hate speech targeting South Asians.
    Jane Hong / Made by History, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Trade value Contract swap Age 23 Position Wing Contract Value $18M Expiration 2029 Wing 25 Kyle Kuzma The Wizards might end up regretting not trading Kuzma at last year's deadline or in the offseason.
    Sam Vecenie, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The anthems, with all of their staid pomp and circumstance, were replaced by the faint wail of a synthesizer.
    Pablo Maurer, The Athletic, 6 July 2024
  • There is almost no question that doesn’t earn a wail or a hoot.
    Stephen Galloway, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
  • Ethel Cain: Perverts [Daughters of Cain] Ethel Cain found unlikely pop fandom with Preacher’s Daughter, her 2022 debut album, thanks to its emotional dirges and heavy lyrics.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The hand drums, played here by Keith, make this one spooky dirge.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2024
Noun
  • The ragged metallic roaring scream of a Boeing 727 ascending eastward, a high-pitched whine building to a thundering roar, fading to a drone.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
  • When in use, the motor produced a slightly audible whistle/whine.
    John Timmer, Ars Technica, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
  • The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
  • This is a bleak model for those in lamentation over our current moment.
    Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Tell, yell, hell, hello, elegy, tottle, otology, geology, theology.
    John McPhee, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Worm’s visualization of his collection, then, is an unwitting elegy of species pushed to the brink of existence by human pressures.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The ultimate effect is paradoxical: the more that Valéry eliminates the ghost of pain and passion from the logical machinery of his work, the starker and more affecting the moans and cries of the ghost become.
    Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Against Notre Dame, the collective moan in the Coliseum with yet another last-minute loss because of Riley’s poor play calling was the breaking point for this lifelong Trojan.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near lament

Cite this Entry

“Lament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lament. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.

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