lamented
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lamented
Explanation
Use the adjective lamented to talk fondly about someone who's died. You might describe your favorite elementary school teacher as "my dear lamented Mrs. McGinty." Lamented is often used in the phrase "late lamented," which implies that the person you're talking about is dead and that you really miss him or her. Inanimate objects can also be lamented, like the neighborhood book shop that closed, or a magazine you used to read that is no longer in print. The root Latin word is lamentationem, which describes wailing, moaning, and weeping.
Vocabulary lists containing lamented
Much Ado About Nothing
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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This Week In Culture: May 31–June 5, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She also lamented the lack of a choice of Manx produce on the shelves of multinational supermarkets.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
She also lamented that some people today still treat Muslims differently because of the attack.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
He lamented “the salaciousness, the shame, the embarrassment, the clicks, the likes” that often come from sharing the photos online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Others lamented the death of a “part of their childhood.”
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
Mamma often lamented that her first word had been “why.”
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.