Synonyms of lament

lament 1 of 2

verb

lə-ˈment 

1

as in to mourn

to feel or express sorrow for

she lamented the loss of her beloved pet to a degree that went way beyond words

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

lament

2 of 2

noun

1

as in wail

a crying out in grief

the national lament that was heard when the beloved singer perished in the crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wail
• lamentation
• tears
• mourning
• cry
• groan
• howl
• weeping
• moan
• keen
• plaint
• sob
• suffering
• regret
• protest
• sorrow
• outcry
• sorrowing
• grief
• anguish
• grieving
• heartbreak
• woe
• heartache
• complaint
• hand-wringing
• agonizing
• dolor
• cri de coeur

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rejoicing
• exultation
• smiling
• laughing
• cheering

2

as in dirge

a composition expressing one's grief over a loss

a poem that is her lament for her late grandmother

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dirge
• elegy
• taps
• requiem
• threnody
• monody
• elegiac

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eulogy
• paean
• panegyric
• encomium

3

as in whine

an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment

the actress' lament that there aren't enough good roles for women

Synonyms & Similar Words

• whine
• moan
• complaint
• grievance
• bitch
• fuss
• whimper
• wail
• grumble
• gripe
• bleat
• grouse
• murmur
• squawk
• whinge
• plaint
• carp
• protest
• beef
• holler
• objection
• yammer
• miserere
• kvetch
• grouch
• quibble
• demur
• challenge
• remonstrance
• expostulation
• stink
• niggle
• kick

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• praise
• compliment
• commendation
• approval
• acclaim
• applause
• plaudit
• sanction
• endorsement

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

Recent Examples of lament

Verb

What Baldwin is lamenting is our tendency to fall back on binaries — right and wrong, good and evil — rather than to struggle with complexity. — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Attendees often pay thousands of dollars to be in the room, only to lament the lack of representation and authenticity on-stage, and the lack of progress outside it. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Noun

Jax has a greyhound with its own wardrobe that’s probably worth more than my entire closet and is worried about only having her personality to lean on in the experiment — a hot girl’s lament. — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026

Today, now that Silicon Valley’s nerd Prometheis have graduated from getting revenge on Rooney Mara to threatening the future of the human race, the kids are back for a more existential lament. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026