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# lament

verb (lament, laments, lamented, lamenting); noun (a lament, laments)

«lament» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To lament is to show or say strongly that you are very sad or sorry about something, often someone's death. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#m1)
2. A lament is a sad song, poem or piece of music about loss or death. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#m2)
3. To lament something is to complain or regret that it happened or is missing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#m3)

### In the lessons

In RE and the Bible, the Book of Lamentations and David's lament for Saul show grief; in literature and music, a lament (like bagpipe laments) expresses sorrow. In formal writing, people lament changes («many lament the loss of the village shop»). Phrases: «lament the loss of», «the late lamented» (who has died, or is gone), «a lament for».

### Examples

- The villagers lamented the death of their kind old doctor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x1)
- A piper played a lament at the funeral. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x2)
- David sang a lament for his friend Jonathan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x3)
- Grandad laments that children don't play outside anymore. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x4)
- The poem is a lament for the lost forests. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x5)
- Many readers lamented the end of the series. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x6)
- All night Charming sighed and lamented. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/#x7)

### Note

Stress on the second syllable: la-MENT. Noun «lamentation», adjective «lamentable» (very bad, regrettable — formal). Regular verb: lamented. A lament is not a complaint about something small; it is deep sorrow or strong regret.

## In Jewish tradition

To lament is to mourn aloud, often in poems or songs of grief for the dead or for a ruined city.

**Interpretation.** David's lament for Saul and Jonathan is a famous example. Tradition values mourning for the dead and for the fall of Jerusalem.

### Examples

- And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son, (Prophets 2SA.1.17, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/L/lament/#x1)
- Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. (Prophets JOL.1.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/L/lament/#x2)
- And the king lamented for Abner, and said: Should Abner die as a churl dieth? (Prophets 2SA.3.33, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/L/lament/#x3)

### Note

Stress on the second syllable: la-MENT. Noun «lamentation», adjective «lamentable» (very bad, regrettable — formal). Regular verb: lamented. A lament is not a complaint about something small; it is deep sorrow or strong regret.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «lament» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lament/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lament» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/lament.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «lament» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/L/lament/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lament» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/lament.html) on Mova free.