as in wails
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 lamentations
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
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
The van pulled into the street, and the crowd followed, muttering lamentations.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentations
Noun
-
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
-
In some, relatives are seen walking among the black bags, trying to identify the deceased, as wails and screams fill the background.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While the 27-year-old skater was brought to tears after seeing her final time, Paul was in the stands doing the same, surrounded by her family, who also couldn’t help but cry tears of joy.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Gripped with pain, tears streamed down her face the entire two-hour trip from the airport to her parents’ home in Albany.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No wonder then, when substitute Mia Enderby met Jenna Clark’s cross perfectly in the 92nd minute, putting Liverpool 1-0 up, the cries of celebration spilled out before the ball had officially crossed the goal line.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
When the time comes, listen to the whistles, the car horns, the cries in the air.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The ball nestling into the net was greeted with the unique mix of cheers and groans in Viejas Arena that, to the gambling crowd, can mean only one thing.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The video ends as Chakraborty collapses onto a couch and groans in pain with the officer continuing to yell at him to drop the knife.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Continue reading … WAR OF WORDS – AOC weighs in after Republican laments 'humiliation' of Mamdani campaigning in Arabic.—
,
FOXNews.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The poem ends with the hero’s burial and the laments of his followers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Wolf Moon name dates back to Indigenous and early Anglo-Saxon traditions, inspired by the winter wolves whose howls echoed across cold January nights.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The song eventually escalates into a lecherous, breathless, glittering climax of incandescent synthesizers and melodic moans—an erotic asphyxiation depicted as utterly glorious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
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Two microphones angle towards the duduk to capture resonant moans, creaks, squeaks and honks akin to the bridge’s.—
Ruby Rosenthal,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentations. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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