alas

[ uh-las, uh-lahs ]

/ əˈlæs, əˈlɑs /

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interjection

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

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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.

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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. 2022

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)