alas

[ uh-las, uh-lahs ]

/ əˈlæs, əˈlɑs /

Save This Word!

interjection

(used as an exclamation to express sorrow, grief, pity, concern, or apprehension of evil.)

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of alas

1225–75; Middle English <Old French (h)a las!, equivalent to (h)aah + las wretched <Latin lassus weary; cf. alack

Other definitions for alas (2 of 2)

Alas.

abbreviation

Alaska.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alas in a sentence

But self-doubt, while a healthy quality for human beings to have, is alas not a plus for politicians.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But alas, a snub is yet another of the many indignities Valerie Cherish shall endure.
15 Enraging Golden Globe TV Snubs and Surprises: Amy Poehler, 'Mad Men' & More|Kevin Fallon|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alas, his soul is willing, but his flesh is weak and he whiffs.
After Torture Report, Our Moral Authority As a Nation Is Gone|Nick Gillespie|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Alas, there will be no buddy movie to capture the Abramson/McConnell rapport.
The McConnell Friend Obama Just Hired|Jonathan Miller|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Alas, neocons, civil liberties at home matter more than those abroad!
What Republicans Need Right Now Is a Good Internal Fight|James Poulos|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Alas, mon bon Monsieur, it goes from bad to worse,” sighed the old man.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
From a sense of justice, I hastened to remunerate those who had been deprived of their coign of vantage, but, alas!
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
For we have, alas, no means of finding out what the quantity of labor is and how it can be measured.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
And out of this thicket, alas, no two people ever emerge hand in hand in concord.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
Alas, its colour was other than the deep chestnut bronze of Georgie Haggard's.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

British Dictionary definitions for alas (1 of 2)

alas

/ (əˈlæs) /

sentence connector

unfortunately; regrettablythere were, alas, none left

interjection

an exclamation of grief, compassion, or alarm

Word Origin for alas

C13: from Old French ha las! oh wretched!; las from Latin lassus weary

British Dictionary definitions for alas (2 of 2)

Alas.

abbreviation for

Alaska

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

alas

Origin of alas

Other definitions for alas (2 of 2)

Words related to alas

How to use alas in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alas (1 of 2)

Word Origin for alas

British Dictionary definitions for alas (2 of 2)