1
as in to mourn
to feel or express sorrow for
she lamented the loss of her beloved pet to a degree that went way beyond words
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to regret
to feel sorry or dissatisfied about
the youth lamented not having spent more time with his late grandfather
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in wail
a crying out in grief
the national lament that was heard when the beloved singer perished in the crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
the actress' lament that there aren't enough good roles for women
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of lament
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2026
While many loyal customers lament the loss of open seating, Southwest has been under pressure from investors to boost profitability.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Our lament about our father’s painful passing in Florida — where there are gobs of old people but no MAID laws to make death more peaceful — morphed into an unexpected series of stories on same.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lament
Verb
During a video conference call Tuesday, the Texas women’s basketball coach glowed about his club’s offensive prowess but chafed over a question about its suspect 3-point shooting and lamented the team’s turnovers and toughness deficiency.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2026
While many loyal customers lament the loss of open seating, Southwest has been under pressure from investors to boost profitability.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
In baseball’s history, a commissioner’s lament for the plight of small-market teams has often been followed by calls for a cap.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Our lament about our father’s painful passing in Florida — where there are gobs of old people but no MAID laws to make death more peaceful — morphed into an unexpected series of stories on same.
—Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lament
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament
Verb
-
Chickens form friendships and mourn the loss of flock mates.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Feb. 2026
-
Violette’s nostalgic invocation of the aesthetics of the late ’60s and early ’70s did not so much channel the utopianism of the counterculture as mourn its passing, returning again and again to the grave of the last mythic moment when radical change seemed possible.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the Oscars performance, O’Hara sings with her eyes locked on Levy, projecting her character’s love, care, and regret all at once.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the fallout from the council's move, members said didn't regret their actions.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
At times, the noise of grinding gears can obscure the soprano whoops and wails of the preschoolers.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Telecasters and hollow-body guitars wail cover songs on Beale Street.—
Joe Sills,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The temperature plunges; Reilly’s trills harden into an Old World dirge.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
These are no longer the days of whine and turned-up noses.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
30 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The space was replete with the repetitive knocking of drumsticks, the undulating rhythm of Qur’anic prayers, and the gut-wrenching murmur of lamentation coming from That is not still (Sesuatu yang tidak berdiam), a 2024 video work about Indonesia’s diverse soundscape.—
Hung Duong,
Artforum,
1 Jan. 2026
-
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Plus an elegy for Breonna Taylor, featuring cellist Jeffrey Zeigler.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
These books can be read as comedies of cognitive dissonance or as melancholy elegies for the very possibility of closure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The song eventually escalates into a lecherous, breathless, glittering climax of incandescent synthesizers and melodic moans—an erotic asphyxiation depicted as utterly glorious.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Two microphones angle towards the duduk to capture resonant moans, creaks, squeaks and honks akin to the bridge’s.—
Ruby Rosenthal,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lament.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lament. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
