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

• bewail
• deplore
• grieve (for)
• lament
• mourn
• wail (for)

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

While Indianapolis is home to a number of robust galleries and art centers that show pieces by working artists, many art lovers have bemoaned shifts in the city's flagship contemporary art museum collections over the past few years. —Domenica Bongiovanni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 July 2024

It’s gone well enough for Bay FC’s coach to bemoan the timing of his club’s impending pause. —Christian Babcock, The Mercury News, 5 July 2024

Boeing’s vice president Mark Nappi bemoaned some of the media coverage of the test mission. —Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 28 June 2024

But that final debate was on Oct. 22, after 40 million Americans had already cast their ballots, a point advisers to the Trump campaign still bemoan. —Philip Elliott, TIME, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

: to express grief over