bemoan

verb be·moan \ bi-ˈmōn , bē- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

Definition of bemoan

transitive verb

1 : to express deep grief or distress over

bemoan the death of their leader

2 : to regard with displeasure, disapproval, or regret

bemoaning the lack of civility in modern political discourse

See bemoan defined for English-language learners

See bemoan defined for kids

Examples of bemoan in a Sentence

He bemoans the fact that the team lost again.
an article bemoaning the decline in voter turnout
Some critics are always bemoaning the state of the language.

Recent Examples of bemoan from the Web

Jonas was revealed as the SpringFest headliner in early May, and student reaction was mixed, with some bemoaning the choice and others expressing excitement for the pop singer.

— anne nickoloff, cleveland.com, "Tickets to see Nick Jonas at University of Akron go on sale to public tomorrow," 10 Apr. 2018
Lisa Simpson would not bemoan social justice the way, say, a wealthy middle-aged white male writer might.

— dana schwartz, EW.com, "Why The Simpsons' response to the Apu controversy was so heartbreaking: Essay," 9 Apr. 2018
As the forum drew to a close, Mike Handler, the chief financial officer for the city of Stamford, bemoaned the fact that many important topics were ignored.

— daniela altimari, courant.com, "Casinos, Taxes And The Death Penalty: GOP Candidates Spar At Wide-Ranging Forum," 5 Apr. 2018
Star Wars' love is there Spielberg bemoaned that filmmakers couldn't snag rights to Star Wars creations during a Los Angeles press conference.

— bryan alexander, USA TODAY, "Spoilers: The top 10 pop-culture Easter eggs in Steven Spielberg's 'Ready Player One'," 31 Mar. 2018
Some might bemoan the lack of imagination in the final product, but MLS argues the process still gives it every chance to thrive.

— graham ruthven, Pro Soccer USA, "Does MLS’ deal with adidas stifle kit creativity?," 30 Mar. 2018
Patino bemoans that there are not enough resources to help these kids get their lives back on track let alone feed them properly.

— eduard freisler, miamiherald, "In Venezuela, hungry child gangs use machetes to fight for “quality” garbage | Miami Herald," 27 Mar. 2018
The school likely could have lived with the infamous email to a potential recruit where Jeffcoat bemoaned liberal politicians in Colorado and the legalizing of weed.

— mac engel, star-telegram, "TWU baseball healing in wake of Jeffcoat's firing | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 21 Mar. 2018
Yet when play began Saturday, Johnson was draining just 34.2 of his 3-pointers, his struggles mirroring the Hoosiers’. How many times this season has Archie Miller bemoaned the open shots his team just can’t seem to hit?

— zach osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Robert Johnson catches fire, IU holds on for 84-82 win over Iowa," 17 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bemoan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of bemoan

before 12th century

See Words from the same year

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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bemoan Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of bemoan

deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan mean to express grief or sorrow for something. deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

- deplores the breakdown in family values

lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

- lamenting the loss of their only child

bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.