Synonyms of bemoan

bemoan

verb

bi-ˈmōn 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mourn
• lament
• regret
• bewail
• deplore
• wail (for)
• grieve (for)
• weep
• moan
• hurt
• suffer
• rue
• sob
• cry (for)
• sorrow
• keen
• elegize
• bawl
• agonize
• blubber
• bleed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• joy
• glory (in)
• rejoice (in)
• delight
• laugh
• exult (in)
• cheer
• beam
• smile
• grin

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

• regret
• lament
• repent
• deplore
• rue
• mourn
• sorrow (for)
• bewail
• grieve (for)
• ache (for)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enjoy
• relish
• savor
• delight (in)
• revel (in)
• savour

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

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