lamentation

noun

lam·​en·​ta·​tion ˌla-mən-ˈtā-shən How to pronounce lamentation (audio)
: 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

Examples of lamentation in a Sentence

bitter lamentations for the dead words spoken in lamentation for the dead
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 This is a bleak model for those in lamentation over our current moment. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2025 No such resourcefulness is evident in Tesori’s score, which wavers between mid-century film-music heroics and sentimental lamentations, with tame avant-garde gestures popping up here and there. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for lamentation

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lamentation was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lamentation. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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