deplore

[dih-plawr, -plohr]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deplore ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), de·plored, de·plor·ing.

to regret deeply or strongly; lament: to deplore the present state of morality.

to disapprove of; censure.

to feel or express deep grief for or in regard to: The class deplored the death of their teacher.

Origin of deplore

1550–60; < Latin dēplōrāre to weep bitterly, complain, equivalent to dē- de- + plōrāre to wail, probably of imitative orig.

Related formsdep·lo·ra·tion

[dep-luh-rey-shuhn, dee-pluh-] /ˌdɛp ləˈreɪ ʃən, ˌdi plə-/, nounde·plor·er, nounde·plor·ing·ly, adverbun·de·plored, adjective

Synonyms for deplore

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR deplore ON THESAURUS.COM

1. bemoan, bewail. 3. mourn.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for deplore

lament, denounce, complain, bemoan, mourn, abhor, moan, bewail, deprecate, cry, repent, hurt, censure, weep, hate, rue

Examples from the Web for deplore

Contemporary Examples of deplore

I deplore the lawlessness that seems to be sweeping the West Bank with price-tags and land-grabs galore.
Obama: Come Visit The Settlements
Samuel Lebens
March 21, 2013
They are about to see what we so often deplore as mere sausage-making, and they will love it.
A Civil War Professor Reviews 'Lincoln'
David Frum
November 27, 2012
It quickly came to mean, to deplore or to disapprove in an especially morally laden way.
Policing the Grammar Police
David Frum
October 19, 2012
I'm about to quote something pretty deplorable, but not in order to deplore it.
Why Does Michelle Malkin Hate Half Her Country?
David Frum
September 21, 2012
President Obama may deplore that trend, but he seems to have no very clear idea of how to alter it.
4 Predictions For A Second Obama Term
David Frum
August 27, 2012

Historical Examples of deplore

Far be it from her to laugh at those follies which she must for ever deplore!
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
I confess I have much to deplore, and much for which to be thankful.
Cleveland Past and Present
Maurice Joblin
We may deplore it, but we can not wonder, and we can not sternly blame.
King Philip
John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot) Abbott
I reprove it in the sternest terms, and I deplore the consequences it had.
The Snare
Rafael Sabatini
"I deplore I had so little share in the fight," he muttered.
St. Martin's Summer
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for deplore

deplore

verb (tr)

to express or feel sorrow about; lament; regret

to express or feel strong disapproval of; censure

Derived Formsdeplorer, noundeploringly, adverb

Word Origin for deplore

C16: from Old French deplorer, from Latin dēplōrāre to weep bitterly, from plōrāre to weep, lament

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 deplore

1550s, "to give up as hopeless," from French déplorer (13c.), from Latin deplorare "deplore, bewail, lament, give up for lost," from de- "entirely" (see de-) + plorare "weep, cry out." Meaning "to regret deeply" is from 1560s. Related: Deplored; deploring.