bewail

[bih-weyl]

See more synonyms for bewail on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to express deep sorrow for; lament: a little child bewailing the loss of her dog.

verb (used without object)

to express grief.

Origin of bewail

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at be-, wail

Related formsbe·wail·ing·ly, adverbbe·wail·ment, nounun·be·wailed, adjectiveun·be·wail·ing, adjective

Synonyms for bewail

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1. bemoan, mourn.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for bewail

moan, regret, wail, repent, rue, bemoan, mourn, deplore

Examples from the Web for bewail

Contemporary Examples of bewail

I recount this not to bewail my fate, or to dwell in the past.
The Lessons of the Nakba
Ziad J. Asali
May 11, 2012

Historical Examples of bewail

Yet not once in the course of that trip did he bewail his fate.
The Forest
Stewart Edward White
In women, it is reckoned becoming to bewail their loss; in men, to remember it.
Tacitus on Germany
Tacitus
When we argue that we weep the dead, it would be more true to say that we bewail the living.
The Lion's Skin
Rafael Sabatini
They did nothing but regret the past and bewail the present.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17)
Various
I ventured to bewail my fate a little, but that did not seem to advance my cause.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

British Dictionary definitions for bewail

bewail

verb

to express great sorrow over (a person or thing); lament

Derived Formsbewailed, adjectivebewailer, nounbewailing, noun, adjectivebewailingly, adverb

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

Word Origin and History for bewail

c.1300, from be- + wail (v.). Related: Bewailed; bewailing.