lament

American  

[luh-ment] / ləˈmɛnt /

verb (used with object)

1. to feel or express sorrow or regret for.

   to lament his absence.

   Synonyms:

   deplore, bemoan, bewail

2. to mourn for or over.

   Synonyms:

   deplore, bemoan, bewail

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verb (used without object)

1. to feel, show, or express grief, sorrow, or regret.

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

2. to mourn deeply.

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

noun

1. an expression of grief or sorrow.

   Synonyms:

   moan, lamentation

2. a formal expression of sorrow or mourning, especially in verse or song; an elegy or dirge.

   Synonyms:

   threnody, monody

lament British  

/ ləˈmɛnt /

verb

1. to feel or express sorrow, remorse, or regret (for or over)

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noun

1. an expression of sorrow

2. a poem or song in which a death is lamented

Other Word Forms

• lamenter
  noun
• lamentingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of lament

First recorded in 1520–30; (noun) from Latin lāmentum “plaint”; (verb) from Latin lāmentārī, derivative of lāmentum

Explanation

If you are really upset or sorry about something, you might lament it. A lament is full of regret and grief. If you lament something, then you feel sorry about it. You could lament a mistake you made, or you could lament a horrible thing that happened to a friend. Also, a lament is an expression of grief. So if you keep saying how sorry you are about something, someone could say, "Enough of your laments!" There's also an old literary form called "a lament," which expresses feelings of loss in a long dramatic poem.

Example Sentences

Warwickshire were left to lament their loss of line and momentum in the second and third sessions.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Many of us hear our children and grandchildren lament their financial difficulties.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

And his lament over the pain of farewells likely will be felt by many of the athletes gathering Sunday for the Olympic closing ceremony at Arena di Verona, a 1st century Roman amphitheater.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026

“It was not in Dooley’s nature to lament his fate, but I was heartbroken for him,” the author writes after one of Mr. Dooley’s many major setbacks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

Aunt Zo, who never missed a chance to lament her marriage, had said at dinner in her comedienne’s voice, “My husband. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• bemoan
• deplore
• regret