alas

1 of 2

interjection

ə-ˈlas 

—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern

Life, alas, is too short.

Alas

2 of 2

abbreviation

Alaska

Synonyms of alas

Interjection

• boo
• alack
• woe
• rats
• ay
• aw

Examples of alas in a Sentence

Interjection

Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.

Recent Examples on the Web

Interjection

Jenner was among the first to arrive, slipping discreetly in through the back door, to hold court on a black leather couch with her girlfriends (alas, no Jacob Elordi in the house tonight). — Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026

But alas, these are among the most out-of-place houses in the entire city. — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

There’s not a prayer of viewing one directly, alas; just getting a dotlike image of an exoplanet is already quite a task. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

But alas, eventually all involved have to get down to business and actually contend with the plot beats of Hoover’s story, which is when the movie careens off a cliff, plummeting past so-bad-it’s-good and crashing on the rocks of agonizingly dumb. — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Interjection

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from a ah + las weary, from Latin lassus — more at lassitude

First Known Use

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for alas

• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• harass
• impasse
• jackass
• landmass

Kids Definition

alas

interjection

ə-ˈlas 

—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern