lamentation

noun

lam·​en·​ta·​tion ˌla-mən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce lamentation (audio)
: an expression of sorrow, mourning, or regret : an act or instance of lamenting
a song of lamentation
… blending a lamentation over the effects of time with a kind of apologia for it.Glen R. Brown

Examples of lamentation in a Sentence

bitter lamentations for the dead words spoken in lamentation for the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
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For those of us in the trenches of X, the meltdown was a familiar sight, echoing the contempt that the tech elite have directed at San Francisco for years, with the endless lamentations of anarchy at pharmacy branches in Union Square or the liberal policies of politicians like Aaron Peskin. Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 30 June 2025 Give us your final lamentations on this year’s crop of cancellations in a comment below. Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 May 2025 Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation. Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025 Studio Nicholas Venezia In Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, the Takács ratcheted up the genre’s conversational quality into high drama, widening the expressive gulf between the opening lamentation and the skittering response. Justin Davidson, Vulture, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lamentation

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lamentation was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamentation. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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