alas
interjection
(used as an exclamation to express sorrow, grief, pity, concern, or apprehension of evil.)
alas
1 American
[uh-las, uh-lahs]
/ əˈlæs, əˈlɑs /
interjection
Alas.
2
American
abbreviation
alas
1
British
/ əˈlæs /
interjection
Alas.
2
British
abbreviation
Etymology
Origin of alas
1225–75; Middle English < Old French ( h ) a las!, equivalent to ( h ) a ah + las wretched < Latin lassus weary; cf. alack
Explanation
Alas is another way to emphatically say “unfortunately.” Perhaps you meant to finish up all your homework last night, but alas, your favorite television show wound up getting your undivided attention instead. Letting out a breathy alas in the middle of your sentence may sound dramatic or old fashioned, but it's actually an excellent way to emphasize extreme bewilderment, regret, concern, or woe. Once an expression of weariness rather than grief, alas stems from the Latin lassus, meaning “tired, weary.” Exclaimed Lord Byron, the English poet, “Alas! The love of women! It is known to be a lovely and fearful thing!”
Vocabulary lists containing alas
"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 1
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4-letter words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
With this frame, alas, I read the first five months of Dr. Fauci’s pandemic diary.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
This is the case even if you have the Patreon app, which I downloaded in hopes it would get around the PDF, but alas.
From Salon ● May 12, 2026
The answer, alas, is not much—at least not much that is likely to have an effect on the Iranian leaders’ behavior.
From Slate ● May 11, 2026
In Los Angeles, alas, we were, last spring, a city of cinders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026
A few will phone for help; others will panic and require medical assistance themselves; and many, alas, will simply be annoyed that their dinner was interrupted and will tip their waiters ungenerously as a result.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
“And I’m not. My breakfast date is with Mr. Charles Cheese. Alas. Can it wait till Monday?”
From "Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green
Alas. good ladies! was there none that sued For their release, before we took't in hand?
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 6 by William Carew Hazlitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
