lamentation

/ˌlæmənˈteɪʃən/

Other forms: lamentations

Lamentation usually occurs when someone dies or a tragedy occurs. At the funeral, you could hardly hear the speaker above the wails of lamentation.

From the Latin lamenta, meaning “weeping” or “wailing,” lamentation means more than just shedding a few tears. Lamentation is when grief pours out. If you lose a nice pencil that's no cause for lamentation, but if you lose all your money in a stock market crash, that might be. If someone tells you you'll be late to your own funeral, you can always say: “At least I'll get to enjoy the lamentation!”

Definitions of lamentation

1. noun

   the passionate and demonstrative activity of expressing grief
   synonyms: mourning

   type of:

   activity

   any specific behavior

   expression, manifestation, reflection, reflexion

   expression without words
2. noun

   a cry of sorrow and grief
   synonyms: lament, plaint, wail

   type of:

   complaint

   (formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow