lamentable
adjective
la·men·ta·ble
lə-ˈmen-tə-bəl 
also
ˈla-mən-
1
: that is to be regretted or lamented : deplorable
the lamentable consequences of the war
2
: expressing grief : mournful
a faint and lamentable cry—
Walter de la Mare
Walter de la Mare
lamentableness
noun
Examples of lamentable in a Sentence
the lamentable cries of the women for their slain sons were heard throughout the village
it's a lamentable situation, but I don't see how it can be fixed
Recent Examples on the Web
After Trump signed the final legislation on Friday afternoon, the hedge-fund and private-equity managers could return to their July 4th pool parties and fireworks displays secure in the knowledge that yet another Administration had failed to consign this lamentable loophole to history.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
That ruling was compromised somewhat by a later decision that allowed a farmer’s consumption of his own wheat to be regulated, and a lamentable 6-3 decision allowing federal regulation of marijuana possession.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This lamentable record is spurring calls to amend the constitution from the current single five-year term to two terms, as well as perhaps holding parliamentary elections at the same time as presidential to avoid the executive and legislature being constantly at odds with each other.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
These are laudable qualities in a diplomat but lamentable in a writer of memoirs.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for lamentable
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John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 July 2025
That ruling was compromised somewhat by a later decision that allowed a farmer’s consumption of his own wheat to be regulated, and a lamentable 6-3 decision allowing federal regulation of marijuana possession.
—George Liebmann, Baltimore Sun, 1 June 2025
This lamentable record is spurring calls to amend the constitution from the current single five-year term to two terms, as well as perhaps holding parliamentary elections at the same time as presidential to avoid the executive and legislature being constantly at odds with each other.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 29 May 2025
These are laudable qualities in a diplomat but lamentable in a writer of memoirs.
—Andrew Moravcsik, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for lamentable
Cite this Entry
“Lamentable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamentable. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lamentable
adjective
la·men·ta·ble
ˈlam-ən-tə-bəl
lə-ˈment-ə-
lə-ˈment-ə-
1
: that is to be regretted or lamented
lamentableness
noun
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