lament 1 of 2

1
2
as in to regret
to feel sorry or dissatisfied about the youth lamented not having spent more time with his late grandfather

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lament

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb lament differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lament are bemoan, bewail, and deplore. While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

How do bewail and bemoan relate to one another, in the sense of lament?

Both bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.

fans bewailed the defeat
purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

When is it sensible to use deplore instead of lament?

The words deplore and lament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

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 lament
Verb
The Nuggets will lament some things in this series loss to Oklahoma City. Sam Amick, New York Times, 18 May 2025 Distributors — dear friends and colleagues — lament the same familiar woes: not enough films, or too many; the best titles are overpriced; the coffee is terrible; the weather is unbearable — too hot, too cold or both. Martin Moszkowicz, Deadline, 17 May 2025
Noun
Charlie Parker’s Favorite Painting (1946) indicates Abercrombie’s engagement with social issues: a yellow noose, nearly fluorescent against a dishwater sky, dangles from a barren tree—an oblique lament from the doggedly antiracist Abercrombie. Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 26 Mar. 2025 The long-standing lament that Latin American conservatives, centrists, and leftists share is that whereas the United States comes to the region to punish and lecture, China comes to trade. Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament
Verb
  • But while friends and family of the teen mourned her premature death, anti-trans commentators on X turned Fosgate’s last posts into an whirlwind of transphobia — misgendering her, mocking her, and celebrating her family’s loss.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2025
  • Mahaffey's husband, actor and director Joseph Kell, mourned her death in a statement to EW.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • But Myhill stopped, hesitated, stuttered, regretted every one of his life decisions that had led him to this point, weighed up his options… and kicked it out for a corner.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 22 May 2025
  • Furthermore, you might be misled with financial matters and then later regret something.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 22 May 2025
Noun
  • Staying put In Kyiv, residents have adjusted to the regular wail of sirens and periodic explosions.
    Dominique Soguel, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Apr. 2025
  • In this ode to deception, stark ironies become the self-punishing wail of survivors.
    William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Though it was written around the time of Malibu’s Woolsey fire, the 14-minute long dirge that encompasses flames in Malibu and a cougar that roams the hills took on a new and sinister meaning in the aftermath of the more recent fires.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 19 May 2025
  • It’s remained in the company’s repertoire for decades, and the use of Coltrane’s elegy for the love of her life has made that music into two dirges, one for husband John Coltrane and another for the woman on the invisible mourner’s bench honoring and channeling him for the rest of her days.
    Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Roxy doesn't take her eyes from the screen, and when Aishah turns the camera to show what's happening in the movie, Roxy can be heard making a noise somewhere between a growl and a whine.
    Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Inside the fence, the atmosphere was oddly peaceful, and sometimes so quiet that the loudest noise was the whine of an overhead drone.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 May 2025
Noun
  • Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.
    Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • Studio Nicholas Venezia In Janáček’s Quartet No. 1, the Takács ratcheted up the genre’s conversational quality into high drama, widening the expressive gulf between the opening lamentation and the skittering response.
    Justin Davidson, Vulture, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • The Stalemate is part wacky buddy comedy, part poignant Western elegy – and just straight up a ton of fun.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025
  • It’s remained in the company’s repertoire for decades, and the use of Coltrane’s elegy for the love of her life has made that music into two dirges, one for husband John Coltrane and another for the woman on the invisible mourner’s bench honoring and channeling him for the rest of her days.
    Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There's a push, and suddenly, a newborn's first cry replaces the mother's moans.
    Laura Gómez, Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2025
  • The eyes start rolling and the moans come out when dudes get super gooned.
    Mikelle Street, Them., 6 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Lament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lament. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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