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

2 of 2

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
Howard plays an improv teacher named Kat who laments the direction of her career, but things soon take a turn when she’s approached by a London cop (Sean Bean) about low-stakes undercover work. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025 The Science Guy also lamented the anti-vaccine movement, in which Kennedy is celebrated, as well as the raw milk trend Kennedy champions. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
Noun
People often assume poetry books will be beautiful, full of lament or awe, and this book intends to be a little more gritty and in the real world. Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 8 May 2025 Many online expressed lament over the resort towns’ popularity too. Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament
Verb
  • These lonely senior citizens arrive at a Los Angeles bungalow where Fish, newly discharged from an asylum, wrestles with an imagined demon and Poinsettia mourns a fantasy romance with composer Giacomo Puccini.
    Armond White, National Review, 25 June 2025
  • The Ultimate Angus Philly went the way of the Dodo almost 15 years ago, and customers have been mourning the discontinuation of The Three Cheese Steak Sandwich for the better part of a decade.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Walking barefoot or in socks to the restroom is unhygienic and often regretted due to potential exposure to germs.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 17 June 2025
  • Research shows that 66% of CEOs regret not focusing earlier on building their teams.
    Michael Praeger, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • After about seven minutes — and two more rounds of Narcan — the wail of sirens are finally heard.
    Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
  • The driving force at the center of almost all the show’s best numbers is Webb’s voice, which is a marvelous instrument for this music, equally capable of delivering touching tenderness or a velvety wail of triumphant transcendence.
    Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • After learning of the loss of the iron ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior and the deaths of all 29 crew members from Newsweek, Gord lifted passages from the article and put them to a dreamy dirge: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
    Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Though it was written around the time of Malibu’s Woolsey fire, the 14-minute long dirge that encompasses flames in Malibu and a cougar that roams the hills took on a new and sinister meaning in the aftermath of the more recent fires.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Pretty soon, the whine of the gears, the shriek of the diff, and the sheer cacophony of combustion make conversation all but impossible.
    Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
  • Men clad in DayGlo vests and hardhats chatted as the whine of a flying cargo drone echoed through the valley.
    Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • Give us your final lamentations on this year’s crop of cancellations in a comment below.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 May 2025
  • Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.
    Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
Noun
  • Vo’s ongoing examination of empire and identity unfolds here as both monument and elegy.
    Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • What if Durham’s vision for the sequel could be turned inside out, undergoing a transformation like The Greatest from retrospective to comeback, elegy to unfinished story.
    Melina Moe May 19, Literary Hub, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • Suffice to say, the 2025 Cannes market will be filled with even more groans on moans than years past.
    Elsa Ramo, Forbes.com, 6 May 2025
  • There's a push, and suddenly, a newborn's first cry replaces the mother's moans.
    Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lament. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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