as in wail
a crying out in grief
there was a great lamentation on Wall Street when the government's latest unemployment figures were published
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lamentation
The venues shuttered in March 2020, at the onset of COVID, prompting public lamentations from filmmakers ranging from Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang to Edgar Wright and Olivia Wilde.
—
Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
So this isn’t a lamentation that the Giants didn’t trade these players, per se.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
For those of us in the trenches of X, the meltdown was a familiar sight, echoing the contempt that the tech elite have directed at San Francisco for years, with the endless lamentations of anarchy at pharmacy branches in Union Square or the liberal policies of politicians like Aaron Peskin.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 30 June 2025
Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.
—Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 8 Aug. 2025
So this isn’t a lamentation that the Giants didn’t trade these players, per se.
—Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025
For those of us in the trenches of X, the meltdown was a familiar sight, echoing the contempt that the tech elite have directed at San Francisco for years, with the endless lamentations of anarchy at pharmacy branches in Union Square or the liberal policies of politicians like Aaron Peskin.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 30 June 2025
Their music is neither celebration nor lamentation.
—Amir Husain, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lamentation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentation
Noun
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In some, relatives are seen walking among the black bags, trying to identify the deceased, as wails and screams fill the background.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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While the 27-year-old skater was brought to tears after seeing her final time, Paul was in the stands doing the same, surrounded by her family, who also couldn’t help but cry tears of joy.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Gripped with pain, tears streamed down her face the entire two-hour trip from the airport to her parents’ home in Albany.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Manchester United represents unconditional devotion, great joy and deep mourning.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Like Gore’s relatives, his baseball family is in mourning following his untimely death.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There is inward-looking anger in Thompson’s voice, halfway between rebuke and lament.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Salford Red Pete Martin sang the Flowers of Manchester lament.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Leaders in Illinois, Massachusetts and Vermont don’t trust their residents to act responsibly enough to fulfill Adams’ rallying cry.—
Brad Weisenstein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Seeing Sparkle cry about Landfair’s experience — something that Landfair hadn’t fully come to terms with — was discombobulating and infuriating.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the early twentieth century, on the Andaman Islands, social anthropologists observed ritualistic greetings that involved wailing and weeping.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
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Just stand at the head of the casket, weeping, and say, ‘Ah, Tamma.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The ball nestling into the net was greeted with the unique mix of cheers and groans in Viejas Arena that, to the gambling crowd, can mean only one thing.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The video ends as Chakraborty collapses onto a couch and groans in pain with the officer continuing to yell at him to drop the knife.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Aquilla Sadalla’s wordless vocals, a gorgeous swell of howls and heaves, complement the arrangement without becoming the focal point.—
Mark Richardson,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
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At about two this morning, the familiar howl of air-raid sirens woke me in the center of Kyiv, followed by the low thuds of anti-aircraft cannons attempting to shoot down Russian drones.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentation. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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