WordGarden.iobemoan
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /bɪmˈəʊn/
US
- /bɪˈmoʊn/
Meanings
Verb
to express sorrow, disappointment, or complaint about something
Beyond the definition
To bemoan something is to express sorrow or regret about it in words—often at length and with a heavy, dramatic tone. Think of a character in a play bemoaning their fate, or a neighbor bemoaning the decline of the local park. It is more than a private feeling of sadness; it is publicly voicing that pain, often as a complaint. You might bemoan a missed opportunity, a broken heart, a lost tradition, or even—sometimes with irony—a bad decision you now regret. The meaning is usually stronger than lamenting quietly; it suggests emotional intensity, a sense of loss, and a wish that things were different.
To bemoan means to express deep sorrow, regret, or dissatisfaction, usually in a sustained or emphatic way. Imagine a seasoned sailor lamenting the sea that took her ship, or a scholar bemoaning the disappearance of ancient manuscripts. In both cases, the speaker is doing more than noting a bad outcome; they are giving voice to a sense of mourning for what has been lost.
This is a public act of lament. You can feel grief quietly in private, but you bemoan something when you speak it out and let others hear your dismay: "She spent the evening bemoaning her failed exam, not because it was over, but because it still hurt." The nuance is that a bemoaning often has emotional weight, sometimes even a performative edge, and can sound theatrical when repeated.
Writers and critics often use the word with abstract losses: decline in standards, loss of tradition, injustice, broken systems, and vanished opportunities. A critic may bemoan weak leadership in a city, a historian may bemoan the fading of a language, and a friend may bemoan a week ruined by repeated delays. Across these uses, the word points to regret for something meaningful that feels irreparably diminished.
Examples
- 1
Public transport
Commuters bemoaned the sudden fare increase.
- 2
Sports reaction
Fans bemoaned the team's missed chances after the final whistle.
- 3
Local business
Local businesses are bemoaning the lack of tourists this summer.
- 4
Report criticism
Critics bemoaned the fact that the report offered no real solutions.
- Patternbemoan the fact that ...
express disappointment or complaint that ...
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- bewail
- complain
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- bemoan the loss of
- bemoan the lack of
- bemoan one's fate
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- bemoanverb
Forms
- bemoaning-ing formverb
- bemoanedpast tenseverb
- bemoansverb