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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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

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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 Research finds that Asian elephants in Western zoos don’t live as long as wild elephants, and elephant researchers often bemoan the limited space, stimulation, and companionship available to elephants in captivity. Nitin Sekar, ArsTechnica, 5 Apr. 2025 Brinkley bemoans the present colonization of the fashion space by digital media. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Coach Ime Udoka bemoaned the Rockets’ inability to take advantage of four-on-three situations in the half court and challenged them to course correct. Anthony Slater, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 Some authors bemoan the excessive expansion of the G-20’s agenda and its plethora of working groups that generate over 100 initiatives each year. Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bemoan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bemoan
Verb
  • Henry Long, the father of the victim, released a statement mourning the death of his daughter and calling for Finch to stay in jail.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2025
  • Since the death of Pope Francis on April 21, a total of 220 cardinals -- the church's highest-ranking clergy -- have gathered in Rome to mourn the loss of the former pontiff and begin the secret conclave.
    Megan Forrester, ABC News, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • Don't regret unplayed aces; the world needs your unique contributions.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
  • Kenny McPeek, who won the Kentucky Derby last year with Mystik Dan, regrets running his colt back in two weeks.
    John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • Experts lament a lack of focus in the community on prevention and mental health care.
    Jonathan Horwitz, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2025
  • In its last scene, Joe laments over his insatiable loneliness while locked within a new kind of cage: his jail cell.
    EW.com, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bemoan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bemoan. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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