bemoan

1
as in to mourn
to feel or express sorrow for bemoaned the death of his wife by writing a series of poignant letters addressed to her

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to regret
to feel sorry or dissatisfied about a think piece bemoaning the coarsening of our society over the last several decades

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb bemoan differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bemoan are bewail, deplore, and lament. While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.

fans bewailed the defeat
purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

When could deplore be used to replace bemoan?

While the synonyms deplore and bemoan are close in meaning, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

When is lament a more appropriate choice than bemoan?

While in some cases nearly identical to bemoan, lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

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 bemoan Jim Chanos and Pimco President Christian Stracke have both recently bemoaned cracks in the private credit market. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025 Every February and September, when the event takes place, critics and showgoers bemoan that the entire affair is strangled by commercialism and limping toward irrelevance. Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025 In this interview, which has been edited for length, Grumet bemoaned the partisan rancor surrounding the energy debate. Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 Trump critics have tried to use the most recent jobs revisions to bemoan McEntarfer’s firing. Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bemoan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemoan
Verb
  • The family is mourning and focused also on driving this business.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Fallon is the second late-night host this year to publicly mourn the loss of a beloved pet.
    Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But her emphasis on greater transparency may also help her carve out an identity as more principled on the Epstein files than many of her Republican colleagues, who may someday regret being too supportive of Trump on this matter.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
  • In an instant, her expression shifted from confusion to regret.
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In lamenting that tendency, Kingsnorth joins a chorus as old as civilization.
    Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Specifically, Fox News lamented that the gatherings mainly comprised Boomers.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bemoan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemoan. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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