lamentation
noun
lam·en·ta·tion
ˌla-mən-ˈtā-shən 
: an expression of sorrow, mourning, or regret : an act or instance of lamenting
a song of lamentation
… blending a lamentation over the effects of time with a kind of apologia for it.—
Glen R. Brown
Glen R. Brown
Examples of lamentation in a Sentence
bitter lamentations for the dead
words spoken in lamentation for the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, Adam Guettel’s music and lyrics bring a new sense of life to its source material by wonderfully painting a stark distinction between Joe and Kirsten’s early romance with each other (and alcohol) and the chillingly ominous cries for help that ring out in their later lamentations.
—EW.com, 29 Jan. 2024
At first, there was silence, but now a great communal lamentation convulsed the assembled.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
But the sounds of lamentation never carry as far as those of rockets, missiles, artillery, bombs.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The lamentation was cringey, in a small-violin way.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
There is abundant evidence of lamentation in ancient Greek art and literature.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Hughes used that lamentation to argue that this writer — of Black middle-class upbringing — wanted to be white.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
Mama, the founder and director emeritus of the Mt. Vernon High Dramatic League and first soloist at the Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church, coaches her to experience the truth of the mother’s lamentation scene.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023
Story continues below advertisement Advertisement In 1990, state officials, responding to the lamentations of townspeople, submitted a request for historical recognition.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 28 July 2023
EW.com, 29 Jan. 2024
At first, there was silence, but now a great communal lamentation convulsed the assembled.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
But the sounds of lamentation never carry as far as those of rockets, missiles, artillery, bombs.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2023
The lamentation was cringey, in a small-violin way.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
There is abundant evidence of lamentation in ancient Greek art and literature.
—Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Hughes used that lamentation to argue that this writer — of Black middle-class upbringing — wanted to be white.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
Mama, the founder and director emeritus of the Mt. Vernon High Dramatic League and first soloist at the Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church, coaches her to experience the truth of the mother’s lamentation scene.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2023
Story continues below advertisement Advertisement In 1990, state officials, responding to the lamentations of townspeople, submitted a request for historical recognition.
—Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 28 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lamentation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lamentation
Cite this Entry
“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamentation. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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