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
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
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
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
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentation
Noun
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Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
22 May 2026
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The wail of fire trucks can be heard as passersby stopped to record the scene.—
Francie Ebert,
NBC news,
16 May 2026
Noun
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The Bruins’ bat boy’s tears stained the front of Cholowsky’s jersey as his sobs grew heavier by the second.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
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The 22-year-old Wembanyama was emotional, bursting into tears as the final horn blew and again choking back emotions after being named the Most Valuable Player of the WCF.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
31 May 2026
Noun
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The grieving in the sense of mourning and crying and all that might stop, but the pain is going to be there.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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After a few words of introduction, Alexis started asking Graciela and me questions about our creative processes, about the importance of surprises in art, about the relationship between photographs and stories, about memory and mourning and pain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
His suggestion drew scores of hosannahs from followers on X, who shared his lament that the magazine had become too critical of the industry and its leaders.—
Jonathan Weber,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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That’s been a universal lament over the past couple of years, lately made dramatic in foot-high digits on more than 150,000 gas station reader boards across the US.—
Greg Petro,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Then, the cries of Ginny’s baby are a major wake-up call for the couple that can’t be ignored.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
28 May 2026
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And so when the girls of U-46 break a huddle, forgive the limitation of their rallying cry.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Noun
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The scenes of security personnel forcibly removing weeping and resistant settlers deeply divided Israeli society.—
Shira Pinson,
NBC news,
17 May 2026
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Purple Pixie® has a weeping habit, with vibrant purple foliage that flows from containers, adding color and movement to porch plantings all year long.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Her remarks were met with groans, loud exhaling and other audible exasperation from a court gallery filled with victims and their families.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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The crowd responded with groans after the move, which did damage to both men.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
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At that point, a loud drum fill announces itself, snarling electric guitars kick in and McCartney’s trademark howls of old arrive in time for a fairly kick-ass chorus.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 May 2026
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It’s installed bioacoustic cameras in Yellowstone to track wolves and analyze their howls.—
Alex Morris,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentation. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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