lament

play

verb la·ment \ lə-ˈment \

Definition of lament

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.

See lament defined for English-language learners

See lament defined for kids

Examples of lament in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of lament from the Web

Upon seeing an empty space where the famous arch once stood, many have been motivated to leave one star reviews on the travel website, lamenting the loss of the ‘

— lale arikoglu, CNT, "Tourists Are Angry That Malta's Azure Window Doesn't Exist Anymore," 13 July 2017
However, injury kept Hartman off the court last season, and former coach Tom Crean consistently lamented about the lack of leadership in Hartman's absence.

— brody miller, Indianapolis Star, "IU basketball needs leaders; Juwan Morgan says look to me," 12 July 2017
The rest of Whitney, especially lucidly lamenting trumpeter William Miller, was equally earnest about lightly carried instrumental dexterity and indie Americana worthy of comparisons to the better work of Fleet Foxes or the Decemberists.

— milwaukee, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Best and worst of Summerfest Day 10: The Band Perry satisfies while DNCE stumbles," 9 July 2017
Ahead of President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin Friday, some of the White House’s critics lamented the lack of experience among the Americans in the meeting.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "The Strange, High-Pressure Work of Presidential Interpreters," 7 July 2017
Thirty years, Petey Kattos laments, can take a toll on a restaurant, not to mention a way of life.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "Petey's Bungalow harkens back to glory days of the American supper club," 7 July 2017
During the ensuing public debate over the incident, many on both sides of the issue lamented the lack of footage that might have ended speculation about whether Hurst's use of deadly force was warranted.

— lawrence specker, AL.com, "Stimpson to seek ruling on Mobile's police body-cam policy," 5 July 2017
The rest will continue to lament their Grulers and Howingtons and Finnegans.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Are injuries just part of being a pitcher now?," 30 June 2017
Drexel’s Harrington laments the decline of summer employment for teens.

— paul wiseman, The Seattle Times, "Kids today: They don’t work summer jobs the way they used to," 23 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of lament

Middle English lementen, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French lamenter, from Latin lamentari, from lamentum, noun, lament

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

lament Synonyms

Synonyms

bemoan, bewail, deplore, grieve (for), mourn, wail (for)

Antonyms

delight, exult (in), glory (in), joy, rejoice (in)

Related Words

elegize; cry (for), keen, moan, weep; regret, rue; bawl, blubber, sob; agonize, bleed, hurt, sorrow, suffer

Near Antonyms

beam, cheer, grin, laugh, smile

Synonym Discussion of lament

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

lament

noun

Definition of lament

1 :a crying out in grief :wailing

2 :dirge, elegy

3 :complaint

See lament defined for English-language learners

Examples of lament in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of lament from the Web

When Lewis, all need and splayed legs and ear-splitting childlike lament, took the stage with Martin in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1946, at Skinny D’Amato’s 500 Cafe, a show business phenomenon combusted — for 10 years.

— michael phillips, idahostatesman, "Jerry Lewis was a vital element of mid-20th century American comedy," 21 Aug. 2017
Vocal tics such as uptalk, or a rising inflection that makes declarative sentences sound like questions, and vocal fry, a low, creaky register, inspire countless laments that young women make themselves sound less professional in the workplace.

— the washington post, cleveland.com, "'Mouth Time!' podcast finds perfect pitch with zany take on feminism," 28 July 2017
Stretch your whole body out for this lament Lil Uzi Vert –

— kat bein, Billboard, "Lil Uzi Vert's 'XO TOUR Llif3' Remixed: Listen to 7 of the Best," 25 July 2017
But as long as issues still plague our female leads, there's nothing to do except lament this other, perhaps less pressing way women get the short shrift.

— chelsea peng, Marie Claire, "Let's Pour One Out for the True Rom-Com Underdog: The Best Friend," 21 July 2017
Today’s tech world is inextricably linked to the Protestant-ethic-on-steroids ethos that Livingston et al lament.

— danielle tcholakian, Longreads, "Why Don’t We Work Less?," 28 June 2017
The director accompanies Titania’s lament over humans’ folly with a potent montage of nature under siege, bringing the material further into the present moment.

— sheri linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Film Review | LAFF 2017," 18 June 2017
Every new lament about the end of the republic, every column about the collapse of civilization, every new novel of doom: these are its answering thunder.

— jill lepore, The New Yorker, "A Golden Age for Dystopian Fiction," 5 June 2017
It was supposed to be a feel-good networking rah-rah, but when the question and answer time came around, there were some dark sentences and laments.

— neil senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego may not have a clear public brand yet but one thing is for sure — we are not stupid," 8 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of lament

see ¹lament

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1591

See Words from the same year

lament Synonyms

Synonyms

groan, howl, keen, lamentation, moan, plaint, wail

Antonyms

exultation, rejoicing

Related Words

cry, sob, tears; agonizing, grieving, mourning, sorrowing, suffering, weeping; hand-wringing, regret; complaint, cri de coeur, outcry, protest; anguish, dolor, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sorrow, woe

Near Antonyms

cheering, laughing, smiling

LAMENT Defined for English Language Learners

lament

play

verb

Definition of lament for English Language Learners

: to express sorrow, regret, or unhappiness about something

lament

noun

Definition of lament for English Language Learners

: an expression of sorrow; especially : a song or poem that expresses sorrow for someone who has died or something that is gone

LAMENT Defined for Kids

lament

play

verb la·ment \ lə-ˈment \

Definition of lament for Students

lamented; lamenting

1 :to mourn aloud :wail

2 :to express great sorrow or regret for

He lamented the disappearance of his dog.

lament

noun

Definition of lament for Students

1 :a crying out in great sorrow

2 :a sad song or poem

Learn More about lament

See words that rhyme with lament Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lament Spanish Central: Translation of lament Nglish: Translation of lament for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lament for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lament

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lament

Definition of lament

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Examples of lament in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of lament

lament Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of lament

lament

Definition of lament

Examples of lament in a Sentence

Recent Examples of lament from the Web

Origin and Etymology of lament

lament Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

LAMENT Defined for English Language Learners

lament

Definition of lament for English Language Learners

lament

Definition of lament for English Language Learners

LAMENT Defined for Kids

lament

Definition of lament for Students

lament

Definition of lament for Students

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