alas

interjection

ə-ˈlas How to pronounce alas (audio)
Definition of alasnext
as in boo
used to express sorrow or distress Juliet's pitiful lament, "alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of alas And, alas, there isn't the customary chain saw whipped out at the end. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 With the wedding canceled, Enola attempts to juggle her investigations with easing Tewkesbury’s believably bruised heart, but alas, things just don’t slow down. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026 The final day of June is here, alas, and the best month of the year is almost at an end. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 Raya’s father intended to use the stone to reunite the kingdom’s five tribes but, alas, he gets turned to stone instead. — Lincee Ray, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for alas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for alas
  1. boo
  2. 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 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

Browse Nearby Words

alarums and excursions
alas
albatross
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alas. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on alas

Nglish: Translation of alas for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kludge

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All