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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lamentations
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 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
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentations
Noun
-
Her wails of pain were audible on TV broadcasts as medics tended to her before a helicopter finally carried her away.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
-
Within moments, a smoke detector wails.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Unlike standard eye drops that get washed away by tears within minutes, living eye drops use bacteria that colonize the eye and continuously release therapeutic proteins after a single application.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Her husband Ve Bui accepted the honor, holding back tears.—
Darcel Rockett,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The following Story shows Emmy hooked up to various wires and tubes in the hospital as Morgan holds her in her arms and cries.—
Georgia Slater,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
The anti-Trump cries soon turned to bellowing cheers when those same cameras quickly cut to Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson courtside.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Still, the night had enough laughs, groans and tender moments to keep things interesting.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
Now, at the same time that his stepmother is drawing groans, however, Hunter is winning unexpected praise.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Warnings, laments, and odes to renewal were expressed pictorially as dying days under bleeding heavens, belching volcanoes, proud icebergs, lavish rainbows amid spangling, mist-suffusing sunlight and dawns of peace and hope.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her presence is heralded not by the sounds of howls, roars or clanking chains, but by the shutting of the door to her study, the scrape of her chair as it is pulled towards her desk, and the clanking of her type-writer keys.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The moans announced the doubt throughout Riviera’s 18th green amphitheater, a bowl full of thousands of fans unsure if the new guy could do it.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentations. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
