alack

interjection

ə-ˈlak How to pronounce alack (audio)
Definition of alacknext
as in boo
used to express sorrow or distress alack, it's true—the only good restaurant in town is closing!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alack
  1. boo
  2. alas
  3. aw
Interjection
  • Williams also recalled witnessing the Super Bowl crowd boo Taylor Swift when she was shown on the jumbotron cheering on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
    — Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Highlights include a costume parade (for kids and parents), a Purim story and boo Haman and songs.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Definition of boo
Interjection
  • The bill would have established a federal framework for governing athlete compensation, health and safety, transparency, transfer rights and, alas, a Commission on College Athletics.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • After all, that makes sense, but alas, like much else in Cody Fern‘s directorial debut, even the most obvious of choices simply don’t add up.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of alas
Interjection
  • The girls, who have been aw-ing at Aniya’s love story with Carl, tell the boys to sit down.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • In the north of the British Isles, people sometimes combined ye, a second person plural pronoun for you, along with aw, meaning all.
    — Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 July 2025
Definition of aw
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

akin
alack
alacritous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alack. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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