lamentable

adjective

la·​men·​ta·​ble lə-ˈmen-tə-bəl 

also

ˈla-mən- 

1

: that is to be regretted or lamented : deplorable

the lamentable consequences of the war

2

: expressing grief : mournful

a faint and lamentable cry

—Walter de la Mare

lamentableness noun

lamentably

lə-ˈmen-tə-blē 

also

ˈla-mən- 

adverb

Synonyms

• aching
• agonized
• anguished
• bemoaning
• bewailing
• bitter
• deploring
• doleful
• dolesome
• dolorous
• funeral
• grieving
• heartbroken
• lugubrious
• mournful
• plaintive
• plangent
• regretful
• rueful
• sorrowful
• sorry
• wailing
• weeping
• woeful

Examples of lamentable in a Sentence

the lamentable cries of the women for their slain sons were heard throughout the village

it's a lamentable situation, but I don't see how it can be fixed

Recent Examples on the Web

Though the sitdown with the media was to preview Tuesday's Champions League showdown against Borussia Dortmund, Courtois was asked about lamentable scenes last month which caused the Madrid derby to be halted before play resumed after a long pause. —Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

There was already a lot to like about Honda's compact, which eschews lamentable trends like an over-reliance on touchscreens for good old-fashioned physical controls. —Ars Technica, 3 Jan. 2025

To keep him in power is not only a vile curse upon the positive welfare of America, but a lamentable devaluing of our Jewish reasoning, empathy, and historicity. —Michael Isaacson, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2024

The governance within the (Spanish) FA is absolutely lamentable. —Dermot Corrigan, The Athletic, 15 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lamentable

adjective

la·​men·​ta·​ble ˈlam-ən-tə-bəl  lə-ˈment-ə- 

1

: that is to be regretted or lamented

2

: sorrowful sense 2

lamentableness noun

lamentably

-blē 

adverb