—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Life, alas, is too short.
Examples of alas in a Sentence
Interjection
Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
There is, alas, a snake in their Eden.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
But now, alas, there is a new golden escalator crowding out that mythology.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
But alas, developers Game Freak have opted to improve the aesthetics just enough to skirt online bellyaching rather than making any attempt to wow fans.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alas
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Interjection
Eternity, alas, will only fly as high as Murray can lift it.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025
There is, alas, a snake in their Eden.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
But now, alas, there is a new golden escalator crowding out that mythology.
—Chris Brennan, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
But alas, developers Game Freak have opted to improve the aesthetics just enough to skirt online bellyaching rather than making any attempt to wow fans.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for alas
Cite this Entry
“Alas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alas. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alas
interjection
—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share