alack

interjection

ə-ˈlak How to pronounce alack (audio)
Definition of alacknext
as in boo
used to express sorrow or distress alack, it's true—the only good restaurant in town is closing!

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for alack
  1. alas
  2. aw
Interjection
  • With the wedding canceled, Enola attempts to juggle her investigations with easing Tewkesbury’s believably bruised heart, but alas, things just don’t slow down.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 30 June 2026
  • The final day of June is here, alas, and the best month of the year is almost at an end.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of alas
Interjection
  • The girls, who have been aw-ing at Aniya’s love story with Carl, tell the boys to sit down.
    — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • In the north of the British Isles, people sometimes combined ye, a second person plural pronoun for you, along with aw, meaning all.
    — Bill Chappell, NPR, 16 July 2025
Definition of aw
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.

Browse Nearby Words

akin
alack
alacritous
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Cite this Entry

“Alack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/alack. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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