lamenting

American  

[luh-men-ting] / ləˈmɛn tɪŋ /

adjective

1. speaking of something with sorrow, regret, or disappointment; evoking feelings of this kind.

   After the controlled mayhem of their first number, the band went into a laid-back groove with a lamenting melody on the sax.

   As sure as the season changes, we are once again hearing the lamenting call of British Columbia's most vocal crusader against salmon farming.

2. mourning or grieving over something, especially death or profound loss or suffering.

   In some countries, people follow the custom of leading a procession with the decorated body of the dead, for the benefit of the lamenting relatives.

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noun

1. the act of grieving or of expressing regret or disappointment.

   Complain and point the finger all you want, but this is not a problem that lamenting will solve.

Other Word Forms

• lamentingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of lamenting

First recorded in 1510–20; lament ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; lament ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

"It's ridiculous," he said, lamenting how he has had to cut down on driving.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

Internet threads attracted hundreds of comments lamenting “foggageddon.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

Another mourner cited the product’s affordability, lamenting that Minute Maid’s frozen juice concentrates were “a must” for households that relied on WIC/SNAP benefits.

From Salon • Feb. 6, 2026

There’s no shortage of headlines today lamenting Gen Z’s financial woes — for good reason.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

Ulbrickson summoned up a deeper level of despair, calling the Bears the clear favorites before lamenting, “We have been handicapped this year by inclement weather.”

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown