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Synonyms

alas

1 American  
[uh-las, uh-lahs] / əˈlæs, əˈlɑs /

interjection

  1. (used as an exclamation to express sorrow, grief, pity, concern, or apprehension of evil.)

Alas. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. Alaska.

alas 1 British  
/ əˈlæs /

  1. unfortunately; regrettably

    there were, alas, none left
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

interjection

  1. an exclamation of grief, compassion, or alarm

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Alas. 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. Alaska

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of alas

1225–75; Middle English < Old French ( h ) a las!, equivalent to ( h ) a ah + las wretched < Latin lassus weary; alack

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.

But alas, faithful reader, that is a tale for another day.

From Literature

They show only what markets did during the period studied — so, alas, there are no perfect guarantees.

From MarketWatch

In Los Angeles, alas, we were, last spring, a city of cinders.

From Los Angeles Times

All of which leaves me sounding, alas, like a broken record.

From MarketWatch

Cue a montage of the two of them squabbling that, alas, sets the tone for this movie, which drones much more often than it soars.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.