bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn How to pronounce bemoan (audio)
bē-
bemoaned; bemoaning; bemoans
Synonyms of bemoan

transitive verb

1
: to express deep grief or distress over
bemoan the death of their leader
2
: to regard with displeasure, disapproval, or regret
bemoaning the lack of civility in modern political discourse

Synonyms of bemoan

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for bemoan

deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan mean to express grief or sorrow for something.

deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.

fans bewailed the defeat
purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

Examples of bemoan in a Sentence

He bemoans the fact that the team lost again. an article bemoaning the decline in voter turnout Some critics are always bemoaning the state of the language.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
His disparaging comments bemoaning the lack of financial support of UConn football by the state, UConn and Pratt & Whitney were totally unwarranted. — Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026 When Polly bemoans that her water could use some vodka, the laugh line fits Louis-Dreyfus like a Selina Meyer-sized glove. — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026 The remaining players bemoan the loss of the vibes, and Shane says the Traitors drained all the energy out of the castle. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 All of it flows toward a reconsideration of the legend of Baba Yaga herself, who bemoans her own malignment in raspy voiceovers that open and close each chapter. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bemoan

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bemoan was before the 12th century

Rhymes for bemoan

See All Rhymes for bemoan

Browse Nearby Words

bemist
bemoan
bemoaningly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bemoan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bemoan. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

bemoan

verb
be·​moan bi-ˈmōn How to pronounce bemoan (audio)
: to express grief over
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All