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deplore

[dih-plawr, -plohr]
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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.

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RELATED WORDS

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

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

Examples from the Web for deplore

Contemporary Examples of deplore

Historical Examples of deplore

  • Far be it from her to laugh at those follies which she must for ever deplore!

  • I confess I have much to deplore, and much for which to be thankful.

  • 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
v.

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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper