as in wails
a crying out in grief
there was a great lamentation on Wall Street when the government's latest unemployment figures were published
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Recent Examples of lamentations
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentations
Noun
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At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Ride the thrill of Hostile Design’s passionate wails and percussion overload when the group headlines eight shows to kick off the new year, making their way across California, Rhode Island, Quebec, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and Illinois with the same energy that once fueled their humble beginnings.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 2022, Japanese researchers found that dogs produced tears when reuniting with their humans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Blum looked around, stunned with tears welling in her eyes.—
Aaron Sullivan,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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No wonder then, when substitute Mia Enderby met Jenna Clark’s cross perfectly in the 92nd minute, putting Liverpool 1-0 up, the cries of celebration spilled out before the ball had officially crossed the goal line.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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When the time comes, listen to the whistles, the car horns, the cries in the air.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The speech was met by deafening cheers, and a tiny smattering of groans from people on the other side of the political spectrum.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
18 Jan. 2026
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Those decisions were largely met with groans from fans.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Continue reading … WAR OF WORDS – AOC weighs in after Republican laments 'humiliation' of Mamdani campaigning in Arabic.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
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The poem ends with the hero’s burial and the laments of his followers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Wolf Moon name dates back to Indigenous and early Anglo-Saxon traditions, inspired by the winter wolves whose howls echoed across cold January nights.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
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The year's first full moon is best known as the wolf moon since the howls of wolves were more likely to be heard during winter, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The song eventually escalates into a lecherous, breathless, glittering climax of incandescent synthesizers and melodic moans—an erotic asphyxiation depicted as utterly glorious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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Two microphones angle towards the duduk to capture resonant moans, creaks, squeaks and honks akin to the bridge’s.—
Ruby Rosenthal,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentations. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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