1225–75; Middle English < Old French ( h ) a las!, equivalent to ( h ) a ah + las wretched < Latin lassus weary; cf. alack
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!”
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Alas, the decision to cut the colors wasn’t based on personality but, rather, specific ingredients.
From Salon • Jun. 29, 2026
Alas, Krypto the pup is sidelined early on with a whimper, both from him and us.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026
Alas, the football did its best to ruin the party.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2026
Alas, you will be shocked to learn that here, too, the reality seems to be different.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 17, 2026
Alas, we shall never know, and it is too late to go back and change things now, but pondering such deep and unanswerable questions is the job of philosophers—which brings us back to Mr. Hobbes.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
