Meanings
present singular third person laments · participle present lamenting · participle past lamented · past lamented
- intransitiveTo express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.
Ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 16:201 more example
And they are dangerous because when worn they make their wearer look ridiculous and contemptible to those not enthralled by the same fashion; and when their moment has passed they take up precious closet space, taunting you and making you lament of money that should have been spent on something more longevous.
2006, Nicholas Antongiavanni [pseudonym; Michael Anton], The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 52Synonyms: grieve, mourn, aggrieve, besorrow, condole, darken, engrieve, erme
- transitiveTo express great sorrow or regret over; to bewail.
One laugh'd at follies, one lamented crimes.
1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Tenth Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC2 more examples
Euston is so traditionally a part of the London scene that many will lament the passing of the old station when rebuilding is complete in readiness for the new electric service, which will probably be by multiple-units between Euston and Wolverhampton.
1960 February, R. C. Riley, “The London-Birmingham services - Past, Present and Future”, in Trains Illustrated, page 99By the end, Sunderland were lucky to lose by the same scoreline Northampton Town suffered against Southampton, in 1921. The Sunderland manager, Gus Poyet, lamented that it was “the most embarrassed I’ve ever been on a football pitch, without a doubt”.
2014 October 18, Paul Doyle, “Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter”, in The Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo express grief; to weep or wail; to mourn.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinlāmentor“to wail, weep”
- Middle Frenchlamenter
- Englishlament
A back-formation from lamentation or else from Middle French lamenter and its etymon Latin lāmentor (“to wail, weep”), from lāmentum (“wailing, moaning, weeping”); with formative -mentum, from the root *la-, probably ultimately imitative. Also see latrare.
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek θρῆνος, θρηνέω
- θρῆνος (thrênos)song expressing grief
- θρηνέω (thrēnéō)bewail
Arabic عَوِيل, رَثَاء
- عَوِيل (ʕawīl)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- رَثَاء (raṯāʔ)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- مَنْدَب (mandab)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- نُوَاح (nuwāḥ)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- مَرْثِيَة (marṯiya)song expressing grief
- بَكَى (bakā)express grief
- نَاحَ (nāḥa)express grief
- أَعْوَلَ (ʔaʕwala)express grief
- عَوَّلَ (ʕawwala)express grief
- بَكَى (bakā)bewail
- رَثَى (raṯā)bewail
- نَاحَ عَلَى (nāḥa ʕalā)bewail
- أَعْوَلَ عَلَى (ʔaʕwala ʕalā)bewail
Bulgarian вопъл, ридание
- вопъл (vopăl)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- ридание (ridanie)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- елегия (elegija)song expressing grief
- тъгувам (tăguvam)express grief
- оплаквам (oplakvam)bewail
Catalan lament, lamentar
- lamentexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentarexpress grief
- lamentarbewail
Czech nářek, bědování
- nářekexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- bědováníexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- truchleníexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- žalozpěvsong expressing grief
- náříkatexpress grief
- bědovatexpress grief
- truchlitexpress grief
- oplakávatbewail
Dutch klaagzang
- klaagzangsong expressing grief
Finnish valitus, valitusvirsi
- valitusexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- valitusvirsisong expressing grief
- valittaaexpress grief
- surrabewail
- itkeäbewail
- valittaabewail
French lamentation, complainte
- lamentationexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- complaintesong expressing grief
- se lamenterexpress grief
- plaindrebewail
German Klage, Wehklage
- Klageexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- Wehklageexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- Klagenexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- Wehklagenexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- Klagegesangsong expressing grief
- Klageliedsong expressing grief
- wehklagenexpress grief
- beklagenbewail
Hungarian siralom, sirám
- siralomexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- sirámexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- panaszexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- kesergésexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentációexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- panaszdalsong expressing grief
- sirámsong expressing grief
- siralmas éneksong expressing grief
- siránkozikexpress grief
- jajveszékelexpress grief
- panaszkodikexpress grief
- sopánkodikexpress grief
- keseregexpress grief
- siratbewail
- megsiratbewail
- fájlalbewail
Icelandic harma, syrgja
- harmaexpress grief
- syrgjaexpress grief
- harmabewail
Irish ong, olagón
- ongexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- olagónexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- caoinexpress grief
- déan olagónexpress grief
- caoinbewail
- éagaoinbewail
Italian lamento, lamentarsi
- lamentoexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentarsiexpress grief
Japanese 悲しむ
- 悲しむ (kanashimu)express grief
Latin lamentum, dēfleō
- lamentumexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- dēfleōexpress grief
- lamentorexpress grief
- lamentorbewail
Māori apakura, mōteatea
- apakurasong expressing grief
- mōteateasong expressing grief
- matatangitangisong expressing grief
- takuatesong expressing grief
- tūkekasong expressing grief
- pihesong expressing grief
- waiata tangisong expressing grief
- taurereexpress grief
- uhungaexpress grief
- mōteateaexpress grief
- uhungabewail
Norwegian sorg, sørge
- sorgexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- sørgeexpress grief
Persian افسوس, دژوان
- افسوس (afsus)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- دژوان (dožvân)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- دریغ (dariġ)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- نوحه (nohe)song expressing grief
- مرثیه (marsiye)song expressing grief
- زاریدن (zâridan)express grief
Polish lament, lament
- lamentexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentsong expressing grief
- trensong expressing grief
- lamentowaćexpress grief
Portuguese lamento, lamentação
- lamentoexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentaçãoexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentosong expressing grief
- lamentarexpress grief
- lamentarbewail
Romanian lamenta, boci
- lamentaexpress grief
- bocibewail
Russian стена́ние, причита́ние
- стена́ние (stenánije)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- причита́ние (pričitánije)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- завыва́ние (zavyvánije)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- эле́гия (elégija)song expressing grief
- причита́ние (pričitánije)song expressing grief
- погреба́льная песнь (pogrebálʹnaja pesnʹ)song expressing grief
- панихи́да (panixída)song expressing grief
- похоро́нная песнь (poxorónnaja pesnʹ)song expressing grief
- стена́ть (stenátʹ)express grief
- пла́кать (plákatʹ)express grief
- сокруша́ться (sokrušátʹsja)express grief
- горева́ть (gorevátʹ)express grief
- го́рько жа́ловаться (górʹko žálovatʹsja)express grief
- се́товать (sétovatʹ)express grief
- опла́кивать (oplákivatʹ)bewail
- опла́кать (oplákatʹ)bewail
Scottish Gaelic caoidh, caoineadh
- caoidhexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- caoineadhexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- tuireadhsong expressing grief
- cumhasong expressing grief
- caoidhexpress grief
- caoinexpress grief
- caoidhbewail
- caoinbewail
Spanish lamento, lamentación
- lamentoexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentaciónexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- lamentarexpress grief
Swedish jämmer, klagan
- jämmerexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- klaganexpression of grief, suffering, or sadness
- klagosångsong expressing grief
- jämraexpress grief
- sörjabewail
- jämrabewail
Tamil வருந்து, புலம்பு
- வருந்து (varuntu)express grief
- புலம்பு (pulampu)bewail
Ukrainian опла́кувати, опла́кати
- опла́кувати (oplákuvaty)bewail
- опла́кати (oplákaty)bewail
Yiddish געוויין
- געוויין (geveyn)expression of grief, suffering, or sadness
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lament
Anagrams
Cite this entry
lament. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lament
“lament.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lament. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lament,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lament.
Source: lament on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.