bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

bē-

bemoaned; bemoaning; bemoans

transitive verb

1

: to express deep grief or distress over

bemoan the death of their leader

2

: to regard with displeasure, disapproval, or regret

bemoaning the lack of civility in modern political discourse

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for bemoan

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 bemoan in a Sentence

He bemoans the fact that the team lost again.

an article bemoaning the decline in voter turnout

Some critics are always bemoaning the state of the language.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kempczinski bemoaned in the most recent earnings call that the company was offering local deals and bundles rather than national promotions, as some competitors do. —Bloomberg, Orange County Register, 10 May 2024

See reclusive Michael Richards reunite with Jerry Seinfeld on first red carpet in 9 years Seinfeld also bemoaned comedians who overshare about their personal lives on podcasts. —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 May 2024

Perhaps the prospect of shooting an eight-member boy band could be a new professional challenge instead of something to bemoan. —Jeff Benjamin, Billboard, 9 May 2024

Esposito bemoans the loss of the type of music Freddie Mercury — and his big voice — gave the world. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024

The panel all bemoaned having to choose between the two, but in the end, Gumball punched his ticket to next week's quarterfinals. —Lauren Huff, EW.com, 2 May 2024

Others bemoaned the clunky rollout of Tesla’s latest offering. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2024

Elsewhere in her interview on SiriusXM, Siwa bemoaned the ongoing backlash to her comments. —Stephen Daw, Billboard, 16 Apr. 2024

Onstage, Lake and Mitchell bemoaned crime committed by undocumented migrants in Scottsdale, one of the Phoenix area’s wealthier cities. —Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 16 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

: to express grief over