lament 1 of 2

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2
as in to regret
to feel sorry or dissatisfied about the youth lamented not having spent more time with his late grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lament

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb lament differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lament are bemoan, bewail, and deplore. While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

How do bewail and bemoan relate to one another, in the sense of lament?

Both 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 is it sensible to use deplore instead of lament?

The words deplore and lament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

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 lament
Verb
Unlike other parts of the world where skiers lament the growing crowds, people here were excited for others to come and experience this Andean traverse. Scott Yorko, Travel + Leisure, 4 Oct. 2025 In his public appearances, Farley has lamented the shortage of young Americans entering the skilled trades, a concern echoed by many business leaders and economists. Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
Apologies and laments and longing are woven throughout the album, but the speaker doesn’t ask anything of anyone that comes across as especially loud. Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025 Beristain’s lament may sound like a song of the past, but eight years later, that rhythm is returning. Lluvia Gaucin, IndyStar, 26 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament
Verb
  • Family members mourned Lincoln’s death in the weeks following the alleged murder.
    Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
  • What conversations were had about the doc with the family, who were obviously in mourning at the time.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Common pitfalls and how to avoid them The quickest path to regret is chasing a very low hairline or a huge graft count without donor management.
    Maria Williams, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • That group tends to regret not selling way more than those who did sell regret selling.
    Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • John Corigliano’s First Symphony, which Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic presented early in the new season, begins with a blistering wail of orchestral rage.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Low, ominous bass riffs giving way to a distorted wail of electric guitar signaled that this was the juncture in American history when the gloves came off and the real ass-kicking began.
    Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Further down the lineup, Friday has Bieber collaborator and indie fave Dijon alongside the melodic dirges of Ethel Cain.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The Season 3 finale of the sci-fi series delivers on that promise, unfolding with the solemn rhythm of a funeral dirge.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The unfiltered electric soundtrack of the Evija goes from a piercing whine to an ear-splitting shriek.
    Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Moscow’s escalating air war and the distinctive whine of Shaheds is now forcing Ukrainians out of their beds and into shelters and metro stations on an almost-nightly basis.
    Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • The venues shuttered in March 2020, at the onset of COVID, prompting public lamentations from filmmakers ranging from Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang to Edgar Wright and Olivia Wilde.
    Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
  • So this isn’t a lamentation that the Giants didn’t trade these players, per se.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The film marks his second time grappling with the postmodern author’s ideas on screen, following 2014’s Inherent Vice, a rueful elegy to California counterculture, which was itself the first, and to date only, official adaptation of Pynchon in cinema.
    Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
  • This is her elegy, her memorial, her voice, her face.
    Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Most of these are held in a tent, from which loud, ecstatic moans can be heard for seemingly miles around.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Out comes another moan, this one closer to a laugh as Brandon’s face flashes a smile.
    Scott Craven, AZCentral.com, 10 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lament. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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