bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

bē-

bemoaned; bemoaning; bemoans

transitive verb

1

: to express deep grief or distress over

bemoan the death of their leader

2

: to regard with displeasure, disapproval, or regret

bemoaning the lack of civility in modern political discourse

Synonyms

• bewail
• deplore
• grieve (for)
• lament
• mourn
• wail (for)

Choose the Right Synonym for bemoan

deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan mean to express grief or sorrow for something.

deplore implies regret for the loss or impairment of something of value.

deplores the breakdown in family values

lament implies a profound or demonstrative expression of sorrow.

lamenting the loss of their only child

bewail and bemoan imply sorrow, disappointment, or protest finding outlet in words or cries, bewail commonly suggesting loudness, and bemoan lugubriousness.

fans bewailed the defeat

purists bemoaning the corruption of the language

Examples of bemoan in a Sentence

He bemoans the fact that the team lost again.

an article bemoaning the decline in voter turnout

Some critics are always bemoaning the state of the language.

Recent Examples on the Web

Many people bemoan the change in daylight, complaining about feeling tired. —Kari Leibowitz, TIME, 22 Oct. 2024

Behind me, a group of Italians plowed through cocktails, bemoaning their country’s political situation. —Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

In a message posted on X a day before the Netflix series premiered, Vince bemoaned the creators' covering the allegations against him. —Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2024

Fans, rather than being excited about the premiere date, bemoaned the split on social media where the previous three seasons of the show were not cut in half like this, but rather aired in a traditional Netflix binge. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bemoan

verb

be·​moan bi-ˈmōn 

: to express grief over