bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

bē-

bemoaned; bemoaning; bemoans

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

Synonyms of bemoan

• mourn
• lament
• regret

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

fans bewailed the defeat

purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

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 on the Web

The victorious Jazz may have actually bemoaned the result, having willfully sat a perfectly healthy Keyonte George late in the game in order to add another loss and better odds in the draft lottery. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026

After Saturday’s win against Brazil, Zach Dezenzo bemoaned that some teammates burned their mouths during the espresso shot celebration. —Maria Torres, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026

The five teams scatter to their work stations, bemoaning the 92-degree heat (no one complains about the noisy vroom vroom of the racecar driving around, which surprises me), and get to work. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026

Leading North Carolina Democrats bemoaned the politicization of public safety at an event in Charlotte on Thursday. —Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 27 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bemoan

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone
• dethrone

Kids Definition

bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

: to express grief over