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

There was even harsher critique from Baz Bamigboye in Deadline, describing it as "beyond seriously unfunny" and lamenting that he didn't laugh once.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

He chose that particular name because “it conjured up someone old-fashioned and bad-tempered lamenting the state of the world through the window of a London club while clutching his glass of port.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 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

"Merchants and residents moved to Port Sudan," the mayor said, lamenting the decline of what he calls "Sudan's great treasure".

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

“Well, what’s done is done. No use lamenting it. Let’s get some sleep,” I said, yawning.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall