Word: lament (verb, noun)

Associations

"Lament" means to express sadness or sorrow, often because of a loss or something bad that happened.

• As a verb: "She laments the loss of her childhood home." Here, "lament" means she feels sad and expresses it.
• As a noun: "His lament for the fallen soldier was very touching." Here, "lament" means a sad song or poem.
• You can use "lament" when talking about feeling deep sadness or regret.

Synonym: "mourn" is similar to "lament," but "mourn" usually means to feel or show sadness after someone dies, while "lament" can be used for other losses or sadness too.

Substitution

Instead of "lament," you can say:

• "mourn" (mostly for death)
• "grieve" (strong sadness, often for death)
• "bewail" (formal, strong expression of sadness)
• "complain" (if you want to express sadness but more about dissatisfaction)

Changing the word changes the feeling a bit: "complain" is less serious than "lament."

Deconstruction

"Lament" comes from Latin "lamentum," meaning a wailing or crying out.

• No prefix or suffix here; it is a simple root word.
• The root is connected to expressing sadness by crying or speaking sadly.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time you felt sad and wanted to express it? How would you "lament" that situation?
• What is the difference between just feeling sad and actively lamenting?
• Can "lament" be used for small problems, or is it only for big losses? Why?