LAMENT Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'lament' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lament are bemoan , bewail , and deplore . While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow. // lamenting the loss of their only child

Q: How do 'bewail' and 'bemoan' relate to one another, in the sense of 'lament'?

Both 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'deplore' instead of 'lament'?

The words deplore and lament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value. // deplores the breakdown in family values

lament 1 of 2

verb

lə-ˈment

Definition of lament

as in to mourn

to feel or express sorrow for she lamented the loss of her beloved pet to a degree that went way beyond words

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as in to regret

to feel sorry or dissatisfied about the youth lamented not having spent more time with his late grandfather

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lament

2 of 2

noun

as in wail

a crying out in grief the national lament that was heard when the beloved singer perished in the crash

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as in dirge

a composition expressing one's grief over a loss a poem that is her lament for her late grandmother

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as in whine

an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment the actress' lament that there aren't enough good roles for women

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb lament differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of lament are bemoan, bewail, and deplore. While all these words mean "to express grief or sorrow for something," lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

How do bewail and bemoan relate to one another, in the sense of lament?

Both 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

When is it sensible to use deplore instead of lament?

The words deplore and lament are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

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 lament

Verb

Senate Budget Committee Vice Chairman Roger Niello, R-Fair Oaks, lamented how the budget process went. — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026 To scroll the internet during the Swift-Kelce nuptials was to see a barrage of people lamenting the city’s electricity bill, misspent taxpayer dollars, and the alleged tackiness of a private, sure, but very much not secret affair. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 4 July 2026

Noun

The coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters, who were swaying and beating their heads in time to a sung lament as flowers were thrown from the bier into the crowd. — Reuters, USA Today, 4 July 2026 This week, Tyla gets in her feelings, Tierra Whack spits bars on a spritely beat, and Kelela slows it down on a lover’s lament that dates back to her debut album. — Rolling Stone, 19 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lament

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lament

Verb

On Sunday, tens of thousands of men and women gathered in separate sections to mourn Khamenei’s death.

— Marc Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Readers mourned Bill Spoon’s BBQ, which fed generations before shutting during the pandemic in 2020, and Bubba’s Barbecue on Sunset Road, which closed in January 2026 after 40 years of Eastern North Carolina-style ‘cue.

— Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Definition of mourn

Noun

After a second of consideration, Naim slams the grate shut to the monster’s wails, and the audience’s relief.

— Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026
Three species of bats inhabit the site, and supernatural events—including the appearance of the gamekeeper’s ghost and the wail of a banshee—have been reported.

— Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026

Definition of wail

Noun

Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
This is the starting point of Earth 7, Deb Olin Unferth’s stellar and sweeping science fiction novel that is part cosmic comedy and part dirge to our dying world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026

Definition of dirge

Noun

Not long after, his elegy was answered, as neotraditional sounds have made a big comeback on country radio, led by artists like Zach Top and Midland.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026
Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026

Definition of elegy

Noun

Musselwhite punctuated the music with his harmonica trills and moans while his right knee bounced in time with the rhythms.

— Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2026
The room received the work with laughter, snaps, and occasional utterances of that satisfied poetry moan.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 May 2026

Definition of moan

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lameness

lament

lamentable

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

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Synonyms of lament

verb

noun

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