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
Almost everything in between, alas, proves uneven and inert in a way that dilutes its satirical punch, making this an interesting introduction for first-time writer-director Kobi Libii but a less than satisfying one. Brian Lowry, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The Middleton-Windsor photograph, alas, was not an Invisible Motocross situation. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024 All that salesmanship, alas, may not compensate for the reputation that Cybertrucks have acquired since an underwhelming delivery event in November kicked off sales to customers who had waited four years to get behind the wheel. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 Imagine her mom is more comfortable giving it to her (or a total pushover, alas). Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2024 Or maybe the Mets and Stearns should have planned for this after missing out on long-term target Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who, alas, ended up with the Dodgers. Jerry Beach, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 But alas, the child actors, while trying their hardest, can’t rise to the occasion (with the notable exception of Liu). Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 But alas, nothing even tangentially associated with Buffalo Trace comes easy these days. Brad Japhe, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 McConnell’s willingness to complain publicly about Trump now, alas, is the tell—not a sign of an incipient battle for the soul of the Party but of a fight that has already been lost. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2024

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 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

alas

interjection
used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern

More from Merriam-Webster on alas

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