as in wails
a crying out in grief
there was a great lamentation on Wall Street when the government's latest unemployment figures were published
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Recent Examples of lamentations
These rock lamentations will not be carried over to the full-length album the band still has in the works, which Bono promises will have a more joyful tone.
—
Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
Chris Willman, Variety, 18 Feb. 2026
The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
The language surrounding Bailey echoes sentiments from the 1990s and early 2000s, when public revelations of a celebrity’s homosexuality often triggered exaggerated lamentations from straight female fans.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The previous two Jennings collaborations — 2024’s The Fear of Standing Still and 2020’s Lamentations — are two of Barham’s personal favorites in his entire catalog.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
What can be dizzying about the collection is the way traditional themes of Yiddish song and Hebrew liturgy — lyrics of resilience in the face of persecution, prayers of consolation for the brokenhearted, Lamentations read on Tisha B’Av — are recast with the Palestinians as their protagonists.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
An artwork from the series Wall of Lamentations by Santiago Montoya that was on view in March at Halcyon Gallery, in London.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
His latest book is Lamentations of Nezahualcóyotl: Nahuatl Poems.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
There have been lamentations about the end of an era and anxiety in the fan and creative communities about the risk of over-exploitation of the British super-spy.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lamentations
Noun
-
Mitchell has made the point before that every new technology brings wails that the fish won’t survive.—
Mike McFeely,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
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There was grit and grime to his feedback-heavy guitar wails, but there was sweep and grandeur too, more apparent on stage than on record.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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McEntire, Stefani and Legend were brought to tears by Carter's emotional performance.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Tatum also knows the value of peer support after leaning on players like Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and Dejounte Murray — all of whom suffered Achilles tears last season — during his recovery.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After football killed 19 college players in 1905, Roosevelt resisted cries to outlaw the game and supported rule changes.—
Steve Doerschuk,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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That, of course, and the occasional ghostly presences, unsettling cries, and blood dripping from the ceiling.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All these moments are good for audience groans and there’s an enjoyable bad movie here for the seizing — that is when Cronin isn’t steering the action back to Egypt for an underpowered mystery thread involving a one-dimensional Cairo detective (May Calamawy) pursuing the root of the trouble.—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
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The trailer had plenty of groans, gasps and even a few tears as Knoxville and the crew put their bodies on the line to say goodbye.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The sinew between Thundercat and Tame Impala is thick and obvious—one reason that Bruner doesn’t need ubiquitous Kevin Parker’s lethargic laments.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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The legislation behind this flurry of warnings and laments is Assembly Bill 1207, which emerged from backroom negotiations last September.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Such prices have set off howls of protest from some fans.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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My 2-year-old daughter’s howls of protest echoed through the previously silent forest of towering Norway spruce.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The moans announced the doubt throughout Riviera’s 18th green amphitheater, a bowl full of thousands of fans unsure if the new guy could do it.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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At the moment that B’Tselem says Hathaleen collapsed, the visuals are jostled but moans of pain can be heard.—
Sam Metz,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lamentations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lamentations. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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