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 has lamented that the UN has become what she calls a "risk-conservative organization."
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Smith lamented in his latest investor letter that “there will be little point being proved right about the dangers of passive or momentum investment after our fund has closed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Rowlinson lamented that "hundreds" of people had been displaced, adding that many locals had offered spare rooms, bars and restaurants.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Some beachgoers have lamented that Laguna Beach’s policy is too restrictive, and that long days spent on the sand require more shade than a small umbrella provides, particularly for families with small children.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026
“She is Ophelia, my daughter and my treasure, the exact copy and very picture of her departed and lamented mother,” said my father grandly, before I could open my mouth.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
