as in wail
a crying out in grief
there was a great lamentation on Wall Street when the government's latest unemployment figures were published
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lamentation
On the morning of October 7th, Angel collapsed into lamentation.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
In October of 2023, she was profiled by the New York Times and The Atlantic; both pieces were lamentations of a political figure who was not inclined to do the performance expected of political figures.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024
Comparable tilts could be seen elsewhere, and great was the lamentation: What happened to progressivism?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
This grubby but remarkable bird, badly in need of a bath and some peace, has a difficult time tuning out Earth’s perpetual chorus of lamentation.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
In October of 2023, she was profiled by the New York Times and The Atlantic; both pieces were lamentations of a political figure who was not inclined to do the performance expected of political figures.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 23 July 2024
Comparable tilts could be seen elsewhere, and great was the lamentation: What happened to progressivism?
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 29 June 2024
This grubby but remarkable bird, badly in need of a bath and some peace, has a difficult time tuning out Earth’s perpetual chorus of lamentation.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentation
Noun
-
Those harsh, swelling wails of warning become the film’s punctuating sonic motif — in stark contrast to the buoyant, babbling vocal interjections of Alexey Shmurak’s unexpected a cappella score, a literal chorus of humanity amid the chaos.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Peart also became the band’s primary lyricist, and Lee delivering Peart’s dense and philosophical lyrics with a high, piercing wail became a defining characteristic of Rush’s sound.—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
12 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
How Did Social Media React To Gene Hackman’s Passing? The response online has been one of collective grief and mourning.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Here, mourning is not just an individual act but a communal experience.—
Mathew Holloway,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
For example, many in the MAHA movement lament how the United States permits scores of pesticides and consumer product additives that are banned in Europe.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Strickland’s lament racked up 159,000 likes and 13.2 million views.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Sparse piano chords, a slow-blues structure, hovering orchestral arrangements and the cry within Ledisi’s voice all hark back to Nina Simone.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
-
For example, pain cries are often loud, high-pitched and harsh to grab the attention of listeners and elicit aid.—
Katarzyna Pisanski,
Scientific American,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
This wry, lovelorn plaint is a cagey display of subtle dynamics and counterpoint on a lone electric guitar.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
-
And to be perfectly fair, the New Deal had seven or eight big years of operation (the plaints about the Supreme Court etc. blocking reforms being so many excuses).—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes,
20 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentation. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share