as in wail
a crying out in grief
there was a great lamentation on Wall Street when the government's latest unemployment figures were published
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Recent Examples of lamentation
Give us your final lamentations on this year’s crop of cancellations in a comment below.
—
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 May 2025
Studio Nicholas Venezia In Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, the Takács ratcheted up the genre’s conversational quality into high drama, widening the expressive gulf between the opening lamentation and the skittering response.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 2 May 2025
One third of the way into Katie Kitamura’s 2017 novel, A Separation, its narrator asks an elderly Greek woman to demonstrate a traditional funeral lamentation.
—Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Biblical-style lamentations over Israel’s final corruption have been a staple of the state’s critics and die-hard anti-Zionists for 70 years.
—Martin Kramer, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 21 May 2025
Studio Nicholas Venezia In Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, the Takács ratcheted up the genre’s conversational quality into high drama, widening the expressive gulf between the opening lamentation and the skittering response.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 2 May 2025
One third of the way into Katie Kitamura’s 2017 novel, A Separation, its narrator asks an elderly Greek woman to demonstrate a traditional funeral lamentation.
—Lidija Haas, Harper's Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025
Biblical-style lamentations over Israel’s final corruption have been a staple of the state’s critics and die-hard anti-Zionists for 70 years.
—Martin Kramer, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentation
Noun
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Two sets of arms wrapped around me, more of his friends, holding me until my wails subsided.—
Kimberly Bridson,
Vogue,
14 Aug. 2025
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The leitmotif of unanswered doorbells, unacknowledged wails, and unsoothed whimpers punctuates the passivity of Epure’s surreal world.—
Olivia Bennett,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Through tears, the father of slain Nasir Delaney-Rowland shared a statement in court that his son was one of a kind.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
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There were toasts, happy tears and everyone is thrilled for them.—
Sarah Jones,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The discovery was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on July 31, just days before Tisha B’Av – the Jewish day of mourning that marks the Romans' destruction of the Temple, near where the coin was found.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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In her deep mourning dress (neat as a Quaker’s), with her beautiful hair, smooth and brown, her fine eyes, and her sensible face indicating a habit of self-control.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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When two people pop a small confetti cannon into the air, Speed launches himself back with a cry, knocking over the set and barely missing the cake that has his face on it.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
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If the cries to help the common fan were relatively silent then, what’s the truly new and pressing need for them today?—
John Cassillo,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For there is a weeping of the whole body.—
Anne Carson,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
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But the mood in Israel hardened dramatically when, on July 31, Hamas released a video of the skeletal 21-year-old Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski, weeping and in pain.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The tightly wound tension is maintained also by Volker Bertelmann’s propulsive score, which starts with ominous juddering groans and keeps shapeshifting throughout.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
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Treat it as a sounding board for album names, tour titles and hook ideas… the stuff that would make your spouse or best friend groan.—
Seth Yudof,
Rolling Stone,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Michel Iluz, whose son Guy Iluz was killed while captive in Gaza, shouted into the microphone at the Jerusalem protest, the pain in his voice mounting to a howl.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
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More importantly, the most recent of these sightings, just two years ago, was by a railroad passenger, so keep a lookout for a tall, hairy figure, or for massive footprints, which are also commonly reported, and listen for the mysterious creature’s spine-tingling howls.—
The Editors,
Outside,
31 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentation. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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