lamentation

American  

[lam-uhn-tey-shuhn] / ˌlæm ənˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of lamenting or expressing grief.

2. a lament.

3. (used with a singular verb) Lamentations, a book of the Bible, traditionally ascribed to Jeremiah. Lam.

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lamentation British  

/ ˌlæmɛnˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. a lament; expression of sorrow

2. the act of lamenting

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Etymology

Origin of lamentation

First recorded in 1325–75; from Middle French lamentacion and Latin lāmentātiōn- (stem of lāmentātiō ), equivalent to lāmentāt(us) (past participle of lāmentārī ) + -iōn- verbal noun suffix; lament, -ion;

Explanation

Lamentation usually occurs when someone dies or a tragedy occurs. At the funeral, you could hardly hear the speaker above the wails of lamentation. From the Latin lamenta, meaning “weeping” or “wailing,” lamentation means more than just shedding a few tears. Lamentation is when grief pours out. If you lose a nice pencil that's no cause for lamentation, but if you lose all your money in a stock market crash, that might be. If someone tells you you'll be late to your own funeral, you can always say: “At least I'll get to enjoy the lamentation!”

Example Sentences

“Craftland” may be read as a mild and easily digested tour of a vanished civilization, a sort of upbeat lamentation, and surely that response would be justified.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

But it was the chorus, a lamentation over a heavy bass beat, that was balm to millions.

From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2023

"There is this sentence from the bible, from David's lamentation, saying 'How heroes fell'. And actually, the question now turns to instead of 'How heroes fell?', to 'For what?'," 63-year-old lawyer David Gilat told Reuters.

From Reuters • Apr. 22, 2023

Still, the aquatic carnage was extensive—and the reaction, from the press and citizens alike, was one of shock, coupled with a dose of lamentation and self-recrimination.

From Slate • Dec. 19, 2022

Often they heard nearby Elvish voices singing, and knew that they were making songs of lamentation for his fall, for they caught his name among the sweet sad words that they could not understand.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien