alas

1 of 2

interjection

used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Life, alas, is too short.

Alas

2 of 2

abbreviation

Examples of alas in a Sentence

Interjection Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Interjection
But alas, the serums aren’t a cure-all for hair loss. Jenny Berg, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024 But then, alas, early next week highs are expected to return to the 90s — by the middle of the week, pushing 100. Andrew Ford, The Arizona Republic, 17 Oct. 2024 There were hundreds of witnesses — but alas for the world, evidently no TV news cameras, which would never happen now, in the age of cellphone videography. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024 That’s the most interesting part of the story, alas. Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for alas 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alas.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of alas was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near alas

Cite this Entry

“Alas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alas. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

alas

interjection
used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern

More from Merriam-Webster on alas

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!