1
as in mourns
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 regrets
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 wails
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 whines
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 laments
Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Barbara Deer and her son Kaleb died in a murder-suicide, officials said, sending shockwaves through Chicago political circles as the city’s West Side laments the losses in one of its most prominent families.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Willy laments to his stout and thankless wife, Linda (Laurie Metcalf, upholding her reputation as a Broadway MVP), that buyers on the road laugh at him — that one even called him a shrimp.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
In it, Juliet laments that Romeo is a Montague, the rival family to her own, the Capulets.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Pitino laments the long postgame wait Pitino suggested NCAA organizers change the postgame protocol that had Duke, the winning team, going to the podium first.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Back in the 9th district, resident Katherine laments changes to the Parisian cityscape, particularly in Place de Dublin, near her home.
—Lisa Courbebaisse, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
This schmuck is Jared Kushner, who is sitting right there as his father-in-law laments what his daughter could have had.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the most significant invocation of maternity comes when Ser Lyonel laments that Baelor is a more favored son than his brother Maekar.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
The legislation behind this flurry of warnings and laments is Assembly Bill 1207, which emerged from backroom negotiations last September.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Her self-reflections have always landed better than love laments though, and there’s plenty of these on the new one.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … WAR OF WORDS – AOC weighs in after Republican laments 'humiliation' of Mamdani campaigning in Arabic.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The poem ends with the hero’s burial and the laments of his followers.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped holding coordination calls on H5N1 with health providers this spring — a change Chin-Hong laments.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
As is so often the case when a Connecticut business closes, customers shared laments on social media.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
Verb
The song, which Diamond wrote with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, laments the cooling of a romance in language as direct as the music is florid; the recording, as the story goes, came in response to a homemade edit by a radio programmer eager to hear the two stars sing together.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
Barbara Deer and her son Kaleb died in a murder-suicide, officials said, sending shockwaves through Chicago political circles as the city’s West Side laments the losses in one of its most prominent families.
—Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
Willy laments to his stout and thankless wife, Linda (Laurie Metcalf, upholding her reputation as a Broadway MVP), that buyers on the road laugh at him — that one even called him a shrimp.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
In it, Juliet laments that Romeo is a Montague, the rival family to her own, the Capulets.
—Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Pitino laments the long postgame wait Pitino suggested NCAA organizers change the postgame protocol that had Duke, the winning team, going to the podium first.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Back in the 9th district, resident Katherine laments changes to the Parisian cityscape, particularly in Place de Dublin, near her home.
—Lisa Courbebaisse, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
This schmuck is Jared Kushner, who is sitting right there as his father-in-law laments what his daughter could have had.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 Feb. 2026
Perhaps the most significant invocation of maternity comes when Ser Lyonel laments that Baelor is a more favored son than his brother Maekar.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
Noun
Warnings, laments, and odes to renewal were expressed pictorially as dying days under bleeding heavens, belching volcanoes, proud icebergs, lavish rainbows amid spangling, mist-suffusing sunlight and dawns of peace and hope.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Pitchfork, 7 Apr. 2026
The legislation behind this flurry of warnings and laments is Assembly Bill 1207, which emerged from backroom negotiations last September.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026
Her self-reflections have always landed better than love laments though, and there’s plenty of these on the new one.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Continue reading … WAR OF WORDS – AOC weighs in after Republican laments 'humiliation' of Mamdani campaigning in Arabic.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The poem ends with the hero’s burial and the laments of his followers.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped holding coordination calls on H5N1 with health providers this spring — a change Chin-Hong laments.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
As is so often the case when a Connecticut business closes, customers shared laments on social media.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laments
Verb
-
The Chicago Fire Department mourns the loss of a 30-year member who died today during a training exercise.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
-
The family behind Jimboy’s Tacos mourns its president.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps Sylvie now regrets her time in Moscow, even the tenor of her politics.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
There’s a lot Jessi Draper regrets.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Her wails of pain were audible on TV broadcasts as medics tended to her before a helicopter finally carried her away.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
6 May 2026
-
Within moments, a smoke detector wails.—
Cyrus Farivar,
ArsTechnica,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Still, the advisory taps into growing anxiety around kids’ screen time.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
20 May 2026
-
The program includes taps, raising of the flag, the national anthem, prayers, reading of names of past veterans.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
These rock lamentations will not be carried over to the full-length album the band still has in the works, which Bono promises will have a more joyful tone.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The pioneering alt-country band returns with its first album in 30 years—a set of cryptic, languid dirges that feels defiantly out-of-time.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
17 Apr. 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
-
The moans announced the doubt throughout Riviera’s 18th green amphitheater, a bowl full of thousands of fans unsure if the new guy could do it.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As the credits rolled and the audience broke out into applause, lead Thatcher burst into tears as Refn paced back and forth, hyping up the crowd for the 7-minute ovation.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Throughout the day, friends and classmates gathered, wiping away tears, comforting each other and trying to process the sudden loss.—
Shelley Bortz,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laments. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
