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lament

American  

[luh-ment] / ləˈmɛnt /

verb (used with object)

• laments,
  present (3rd person singular)
• lamented,
  past participle,  past
• lamenting
  present participle

1. 

   to feel or express sorrow or regret for.

   to lament his absence.

   Synonyms:

   deplore, bemoan, bewail

2. to mourn for or over.

   Synonyms:

   deplore, bemoan, bewail

---

verb (used without object)

• laments,
  present (3rd person singular)
• lamented,
  past participle,  past
• lamenting
  present participle

1. to feel, show, or express grief, sorrow, or regret.

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

2. to mourn deeply.

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

noun

• laments
  plural

1. an expression of grief or sorrow.

   Synonyms:

   moan, lamentation

2. a formal expression of sorrow or mourning, especially in verse or song; an elegy or dirge.

   Synonyms:

   threnody, monody

lament British  

/ ləˈmɛnt /

verb

1. to feel or express sorrow, remorse, or regret (for or over)

---

noun

1. an expression of sorrow

2. a poem or song in which a death is lamented

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lamenter
  noun
• lamentingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• laments
  plural

Participles

• lamenting
  present
• lamented
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lament
  simple
• laments
  simple
• have lamented
  perfect
• has lamented
  perfect
• am lamenting
  progressive
• are lamenting
  progressive
• is lamenting
  progressive
• have been lamenting
  perfect progressive
• has been lamenting
  perfect progressive

Past

• lamented
  simple
• had lamented
  perfect
• was lamenting
  progressive
• were lamenting
  progressive
• had been lamenting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lament
  simple
• will have lamented
  perfect
• will be lamenting
  progressive
• will have been lamenting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of lament

First recorded in 1520–30; (noun) from Latin lāmentum “plaint”; (verb) from Latin lāmentārī, derivative of lāmentum

Explanation

If you are really upset or sorry about something, you might lament it. A lament is full of regret and grief. If you lament something, then you feel sorry about it. You could lament a mistake you made, or you could lament a horrible thing that happened to a friend. Also, a lament is an expression of grief. So if you keep saying how sorry you are about something, someone could say, "Enough of your laments!" There's also an old literary form called "a lament," which expresses feelings of loss in a long dramatic poem.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lament laments lamented lamenting

Saunders said she and her friends lament how challenging it has become for them to buy a home when compared to their parents or even their older siblings.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Life begins as a fanfare — a regal entry heralded by brass — and ends as a solo cello lament and the serene acceptance of death as sung by a choir.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Cassidy closed with what sounded like a lament.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

In a recent lament, the New York Times waves at unnamed “many experts” to say this was a sensible way to foster an EV industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

He saw them scold and hurt each other; he saw them lament over pains at which the Samana laughs, and suffer at deprivations which a Samana does not feel.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

McVay laments, usually lightheartedly, the loss of staff members that have ascended to become head coaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

As she formulates her proposal for a better answer, Ms. Horn laments that a knowledge of Jewish civilization is part of a “null curriculum”—history that is ignored in most American classrooms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

Standing in front of his mural, depicting the face of a girl with a feathered headdress, he laments that many artists were victims of the gangs and are now "disappeared."

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

"These small windows that the world sees, the little openings here and there including secret schools for girls, are just meant to fool everybody," she laments with visible sadness.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“But she just can’t get there,” he laments.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

The blockbuster franchise has moved away from its emphasis on storytelling to prioritize big fights and action sequences, the “Spider-Noir” actor lamented during a recent appearance at Fan Expo Dallas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

He's spruced up the White House, lamented that his new ballroom won't be finished in time and ensured a new marble helipad is ready to show off to the Chinese leader.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Smith, who said she'd come to the fair to pet the animals, lamented that consumer prices were sky-high, adding: "It hurts at the pump."

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Others lamented the death of a “part of their childhood.”

From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026

In the best histrionic village style, Sourmelina unleashed soaring arias in which she lamented the death of her husband and castigated him for dying.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Another used A.I. to animate a photo of Walters, the digital replica lamenting his sentence of “death by incarceration.”

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

He is tempted by Vannacci but will not vote next year, he said, lamenting the lack of a long-term vision for the country.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

We observe them lamenting how powerless they feel: Their medical skills can do some good, but not nearly enough.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

She received dozens of letters lamenting the “good old days” of “American” recipes like cola-soaked pork chops, but she didn’t listen.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

Inwardly lamenting my fate, I lifted the sack and began my life as servant to the Bear.

From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi

Related Words

• bemoan
• deplore
• regret