lamentable

adjective

la·​men·​ta·​ble lə-ˈmen-tə-bəl 

also

ˈla-mən- 

1

: that is to be regretted or lamented : deplorable

the lamentable consequences of the war

2

: expressing grief : mournful

… a faint and lamentable cry …

—Walter de la Mare

lamentableness noun

lamentably

lə-ˈmen-tə-blē 

also

ˈla-mən- 

adverb

Synonyms of lamentable

• mournful
• weeping
• heartbroken
• funeral
• bitter
• sad
• wailing
• grieving

Examples of lamentable in a Sentence

the lamentable cries of the women for their slain sons were heard throughout the village

it's a lamentable situation, but I don't see how it can be fixed

Recent Examples on the Web

Alas, Medak also is famous for directing the lamentable Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974), a comedy about bumbling 17th century pirates that starred the combustible Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026

The diminishing role of the federal government in addressing this crisis is lamentable. — Monitor Reader, Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2026

Still furious at her mother, Natalie tentatively chooses to believe Cady but takes a gun along just in case, which turns out to be another lamentable decision. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Skeptics said that for a denomination with more than 40,000 churches and millions of members, those numbers were lamentable but not symptoms of a widespread crisis. — ABC News, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lamentable

• rentable
• fermentable
• presentable
• preventable
• representable

Kids Definition

lamentable

adjective

la·​men·​ta·​ble ˈlam-ən-tə-bəl  lə-ˈment-ə- 

1

: that is to be regretted or lamented

2

: sorrowful sense 2

lamentableness noun

lamentably

-blē 

adverb