—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Life, alas, is too short.
Examples of alas in a Sentence
Interjection
Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
But, alas, that’s just not how the voting works.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026
That logic, alas, runs aground on the reef of reality.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Andrew Scott also should’ve gotten in for Best Supporting Actor, alas.
—Erin Neil, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alas
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Interjection
Someone's grandmother passed down their beloved hall tree but, alas, there wasn't room in the recipient's apartment for it.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
But, alas, that’s just not how the voting works.
—Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026
That logic, alas, runs aground on the reef of reality.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Andrew Scott also should’ve gotten in for Best Supporting Actor, alas.
—Erin Neil, New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for alas
Cite this Entry
“Alas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alas. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alas
interjection
—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
