LAMENTATION Synonyms: 34 Similar and Opposite Words

lamentation

noun

ˌla-mən-ˈtā-shən

Definition of lamentation

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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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 lamentation These rock lamentations will not be carried over to the full-length album the band still has in the works, which Bono promises will have a more joyful tone. — Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026 The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026 The ghetto is full of lamentation. — Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026 The space was replete with the repetitive knocking of drumsticks, the undulating rhythm of Qur’anic prayers, and the gut-wrenching murmur of lamentation coming from That is not still (Sesuatu yang tidak berdiam), a 2024 video work about Indonesia’s diverse soundscape. — Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lamentation

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentation

Noun

Feverish with feeling, the women scream, wail and sob, each one experiencing her misery multiply in real time as the remaining two look on in disdain.

— Natalia Winkelman, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
No wet plop of a SpongeBob ice cream bar crashing onto hot asphalt; a child’s apocalyptic wails ensuing.

— Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of wail

Noun

One of us would be chosen to recite the poem onstage—a kitsch performance, no doubt, so that an auditorium of adults would be moved to tears.

— Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2026
The first days of testimony brought tears from witnesses, spectators and jurors, the 9th Street Journal reported.

— Leigh Egan, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of tears

Noun

While Boeing callously deflects blame for their negligence, a family of one victim finds strength in gathering collective mourning.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu declared three days of mourning and directed flags to be flown at half-staff throughout the country to mourn the victims.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of mourning

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
Caroline Wahl concluded her statement with the wistful lament that all she was left with now was her double one—referring to her two new books heading the Spiegel Bestseller List.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lament

Noun

Her friend’s cries mixed with the sound of police car sirens before officers arrived and escorted students and staff out the building.

— Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
When news got around that a new movie version of Sense and Sensibility was in the works, cries of dismay rang forth from Bath to Brooklyn.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cry

Noun

Cue the lovelorn weeping in the rain set to composer Roger Goula’s supple string score, and before us, a sweeping love epic bursts alive with real pain.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
Body camera footage showed Flynn weeping, covering his face, and rocking back and forth as police searched his home.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of weeping

Noun

The second slide was a video (without sound) of the couple’s first kiss, which King prefaced with what looked like a howl of joy, followed by a series of passionate kisses and an arms-in-the-air yelp from the groom.

— Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
With every whimper, sigh, howl, bark and head tilt, these dogs create an empathetic portrayal of a highly intelligent creature that has been through battle and has the scars (and nightmares) to prove it.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of howl

Browse Nearby Words

lamentably

lamentation

lamentations

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“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentation. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lamentation

noun

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