lament

American  

[luh-ment] / ləˈmɛnt /

verb (used with object)

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

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verb (used without object)

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

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

2. to mourn deeply.

   Synonyms:

   weep, grieve

noun

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)

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noun

1. an expression of sorrow

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

Other Word Forms

• lamenter noun
• lamentingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of lament

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

Example Sentences

Many of us hear our children and grandchildren lament their financial difficulties.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

But he might also inspire a true-crime series like Marco Bellocchio’s “Portobello,” which hath no shortage of righteous indignation while also being an epic, a thriller and even a lament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

If Park’s film begins as another lament for our layoff-laden modern world, the South Korean director soon introduces a sinister twist.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026

It says this is a "recognition of the need for repentance, humility and lament".

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2025

Fawkes’s lament was still echoing over the dark grounds outside.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• bemoan
• deplore
• regret