lament

verb

la·ment | \ lə-ˈment

lamented; lamenting; laments

Definition of lament

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to mourn aloud : wail nightingales lament without ceasing —L. P. Smith

transitive verb

1 : to express sorrow, mourning, or regret for often demonstratively : mourn … must regret the imprudence, lament the result … —Jane Austen

2 : to regret strongly He lamented his decision not to go to college.

lament

noun

Definition of lament (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a crying out in grief : wailing

2 : dirge, elegy

3 : complaint

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about lament

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Choose the Right Synonym for lament

Verb

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 lament in a Sentence

Verb

She lamented over the loss of her best friend. “I've lost my best friend!” she lamented.

Noun

The poem is a lament for a lost love. the national lament that was heard when President Kennedy was assassinated

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The photos, posted by people who lament the death of Chicago’s tangible past, flit through my social media feed like a parade of the condemned en route to the guillotine. — Mary Schmich, chicagotribune.com, "Awful! Sad! No More! Stop demolishing Chicago's beautiful old homes," 12 July 2018 Duterte lamented in that speech that Adam and Eve's sin in Christian theology resulted in all the faithful falling from divine grace. — Jim Gomez, Fox News, "Bishops call for 3-day fasting after Duterte says God stupid," 10 July 2018 Avalos lamented seeing, on a return trip from Matamoros to Brownsville, that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers were stationed on the bridge just inside the international line that marks where the United States ends and Mexico begins. — NBC News, "In South Texas, Trump immigration policies cut into the fabric of border culture," 7 July 2018 Colton laments that his camel wandered away from Becca’s camel. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette Season 14, Episode 5 Recap: Your Greatest Power," 26 June 2018 Willing to engage with her critics, Lewis published the objections of two black North Carolinians who lamented how white supremacist ideology infiltrated her public narratives. — Longreads, "Nell Battle Lewis, Storyteller for Jim Crow," 25 May 2018 The project drew prolonged opposition from area residents who lamented the additional traffic the development would generate. — Kim Chatelain, NOLA.com, "Roundabout design contract to be vetted by Mandeville City Council," 8 May 2018 There are some who may lament the lack of a V12 option that has been an Aston Martin tradition, but the performance numbers don’t suffer in its absence. — Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg.com, "It’s Easy to Make Mistakes With a 2019 Aston Martin DB11 Volante," 1 May 2018 Its portrait of Rogers as a gentle man who preached kindness and tolerance as an antidote to the turbulence of the late 20th century seems to have struck a chord with viewers lamenting the harshness of politics and pop culture today. — Beth J. Harpaz, chicagotribune.com, "It's a beautiful day in Pennsylvania on Mister Rogers' trail," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

In fact, as a lead singer, JJ Julius Son was akin to a bluesy Eddie Vedder rather than Robert Plant or Chris Cornell. Ballads and laments suited his murmuring tenderness. — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 4: In Real Life, Kaleo, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang and more," 30 June 2018 Among Democratic bosses who weren’t watching soccer, laments and cries were heard when Kennedy’s retirement was confirmed. — John Kass, chicagotribune.com, "It's a bad week to be a Democratic boss," 27 June 2018 But something about Michael's doomsday lament — rooted in a young man's naivete, but also in a scientifically accurate view of the planet — nonetheless takes root deep within Toller, feeding on his own despair. — Justin Chang, latimes.com, "The bracing 'First Reformed,' starring a superb Ethan Hawke, resurrects Paul Schrader's career," 17 May 2018 And at the very outside of the cycle comes music that draws most tellingly on traditions of lament and consolation. — Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "Brownlee unveils a new song cycle on themes of race and hope," 1 Apr. 2018 The tabloids reported on it with a mix of smug derision and hollow lament. — Josie Duffy Rice, The Atlantic, "The Gospel According to Pusha T," 12 July 2018 Climate hawks lament that in the decade since, actual implementation of climate policies has stalled. — Kelsey Brugger, Scientific American, "Alaska Wants to Fight Warming While Still Drilling for Oil," 12 July 2018 Critics have faulted the president for using language that echoes white supremacist laments about the loss of white power. — Fox News, "Trump stands by 'culture' criticism of European immigration," 13 July 2018 In crafting the national identity, lament for the region’s dispossessed is both a rebuke and an affirmation: Look at what happened to those who were not able to defend their homes and their homeland. — Shervin Malekzadeh, Washington Post, "What Trump doesn’t get about ideology in Iran. It’s about nationalism, not theocracy.," 25 June 2018

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