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lament

lament

15 6.1
A sad song, poem, or cry that shows grief
  • noun
  • /ləˈmɛnt/
  • Literature
: lamento
  • The traditional song was a lament for those who had fallen in battle, evoking deep sorrow among the listeners.
  • lament Psalms
  • tradition of laments

It was not a gradualist lament by Timothy Dwight.

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Examples

  • In response, John launched into an impassioned lament about toxicology funding.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • And here I would like to end with a lament about the state of discourse on this subject.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Here he describes his lament for missing his son's wedding:

    Academic text (2017)
  • But I could hear the drums and the weird lament of the islands.

  • To every new lover, you repeat the same lament, always careful to nurse the pain.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Compare the famous Mexican lament, "so far from God, so close to the United States."

    Academic text (1998)
  • The pipe music stopped, and the piper started another tune, "The Lament for the Only Son."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The feeling of being insufficiently appreciated is a common childhood lament.

  • A lament for Gandalf.

  • When Hind finished singing snatches of a lover's lament by Fairuz, the old woman smiled.

    Fiction book (1997)

Synonyms

cry
vslament
30 1.0

A time when someone has tears because they feel sad or upset

is often an artistic or formal expression like songs and poems
wail
vslament
19 3.2

A long loud cry that shows pain or deep sadness

is more artistic or structured such as songs or poems
requiem
vslament
  • Formal
12 8.9

A musical piece sung at a funeral to honor the dead

is a general sorrow expression not restricted to religious rites
dirge
vslament
8 8.2

A slow sad song for people who have died

is a general sorrow expression not always for funerals
elegy
vslament
  • Literature
7 8.1

A poem or song that shows sorrow for someone who has died

is used for sorrow in many forms not only poetic tributes
lamentation
vslament
  • Literature
6 7.7

A strong feeling of sadness that people show by crying

is often a crafted artistic expression such as songs or poems
plaint
vslament
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A sad cry or song that shows sadness

is a broader creative sorrow form like songs or poems
threnody
vslament
  • Literature
1 9.9

A song or poem that expresses sadness for someone who has died

is a general expression of sorrow not limited to deaths
tristesse
vslament
  • Literature
1 9.9

A short musical piece with a sad, quiet mood

is a broader sorrow expression not only a brief musical mood
coronach
vslament
  • Archaic
9.9

A sad song sung at a funeral to honor the dead

is broader sorrow expression beyond cultural funeral songs
wayment
vslament
  • Archaic
9.9

A deep feeling of sadness after a loss

is the modern general expression rather than archaic naming

Antonyms

501 1.0

A happy event such as a party that marks a special occasion or achievement

7 2.8

Great joy and celebration after good news or success

How Sorrowful

wail
19 3.2
dirge
8 8.2
lament
  • Literature
15 6.1
cry
30 1.0
to sigh
5 1.9

Surface Forms

lament singular
laments plural

Etymology

The word lament comes from the Latin lamentum, which means 'a wailing' or sad song. So a lament is a song or cry that shows deep sorrow.