Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Vocally expressing grief or sorrow: Describing someone or something that is audibly showing sadness, mourning, or regret.
   • Resembling the expression of grief: Describing a sound, tone, or manner that is reminiscent of or similar to vocal sorrow.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The lamenting crowd gathered at the memorial service. (The crowd expressing grief gathered at the memorial service.)
  • We could hear the lamenting cries from the other room. (We could hear the sorrowful cries from the other room.)
  • The lamenting tone of the cello piece moved the audience. (The sorrowful tone of the cello piece moved the audience.)

Advanced Usage

• Used to describe non-human subjects: Often applied to sounds in nature or art that evoke a feeling of sorrow.
  • The lamenting wind echoed through the empty valley. (The wind, sounding like a cry of grief, echoed through the empty valley.)
• In literary or formal critique: Used to describe the emotional quality of a work.
  • The poet's lamenting verses captured the nation's mood after the war. (The poet's sorrowful verses captured the nation's mood after the war.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lament (verb/noun): To express grief or sorrow; an expression of grief.
  • She lamented the loss of her friend.
  • The song was a lament for the fallen soldiers.
• Lamentation (noun): The act of lamenting; a passionate expression of grief.
  • The lamentation of the women could be heard throughout the village.
• Lamentable (adjective): Deserving lament or regret; regrettable, unfortunate.
  • The loss of the historical documents was a lamentable event.

Synonyms

• Mournful: Feeling or expressing sorrow or grief.
• Wailing: Making a prolonged, high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger.
• Bemoaning: Expressing discontent or sorrow over (something).
• Keening: Making a wailing lament for the dead.

Related Phrases

• Lamenting the fact that...: Expressing sorrow or regret about a specific situation.
  • He was lamenting the fact that he had never traveled when he was younger. (He was expressing regret that he had never traveled when he was younger.)
• A voice lamenting: A voice that sounds sorrowful.
  • A voice lamenting in the distance kept him awake. (A sorrowful voice in the distance kept him awake.)

Related Idioms

• To sing a lamenting tune: To express a consistently sorrowful or pessimistic view. (Figurative)
  • Ever since the project failed, he's been singing a lamenting tune about all his ideas. (Ever since the project failed, he has been expressing pessimistic regret about all his ideas.)

Adjective

1. vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression
   • lamenting sinners
   • wailing mourners
   • the wailing wind
   • wailful bagpipes
   • tangle her desires with wailful sonnets- Shakespeare