alas
interjection
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Definition of alas
(Entry 1 of 2)
—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern Life, alas, is too short.
Alas
abbreviationDefinition of Alas (Entry 2 of 2)
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Examples of alas in a Sentence
Interjection
Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.Recent Examples on the Web: Interjection
Alas, as of this writing, no announcement has come forth indicating which, if any, Jazz Festival headliners will play additional engagements in Chicago-area venues, apart from the After Fest sessions that always have sprouted during the festival. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago Jazz Festival needs to connect to the rest of Chicago," 26 Aug. 2017 Alas, the Mid-Atlantic missed out on the biggest piece of the Powerball jackpot when a $758.7 million ticket was sold in Massachusetts — the largest single-ticket payout in U.S. history. — Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, "D.C. region misses out on big Powerball jackpot, but scores two $1 million prizes," 24 Aug. 2017 Alas, the plaque — which had been welded to the table — was subsequently stolen. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Jack Tempchin revisits his musical partnership with the Eagles' Glenn Frey on heartfelt new CD," 19 Aug. 2017 Alas, many also believe that monkeys infect people, which isn't true. — Sam Kean, Science | AAAS, "When will yellow fever strike Brazil again? Monkeys and mosquitoes hold clues," 17 Aug. 2017 Alas, Neymar remains with Barca — at least for the time being — and he is expected to play against Real Madrid on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium in El Clasico Miami. — Michelle Kaufman, miamiherald, "Juventus kicks off El Clasico week with victory over PSG in final minutes," 26 July 2017 Alas, the game between India and Pakistan has often turned serious. — The Economist, "Hissing cousinsWhy India and Pakistan hate each other," 22 July 2017 Alas, Donald Trump is far too intellectually limited and lazy to dictate policy to his party — and far too corrupt to risk attracting Paul Ryan’s ire. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Donald Trump Is a Victim of Congressional Republicans’ Incompetence," 19 July 2017 But alas, the city known for where the surf meets the turf has been missing one major San Diego staple: a local craft brewery. — Liz Bowen, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "Del Mar is finally getting a craft brewery," 13 July 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alas.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
The Languid Story of 'Lackadaisical'
The Languid Story of 'Lackadaisical'
From "expression of woe" to "why bother?"
Dictionary Entries near alas
Statistics for alas
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for alas
The first known use of alas was in the 13th century
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More Definitions for alas
alas
interjection
English Language Learners Definition of alas
—used to express sadness, sorrow, disappointment, etc.
See the full definition for alas in the English Language Learners Dictionary
alas
interjection
\
Kids Definition of alas
—used to express unhappiness, pity, disappointment or worry Alas, it was too late!
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