MEANING
To express sorrow or regret about something, often openly or at length.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- bewail a loss
- bewail one’s fate
On the page
She bewailed the loss in letters she never intended to send.
He bewailed his fate while ignoring the choices still available.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- bewail
- Past tense
- bewailed
- Past participle
- bewailed
- Present participle
- bewailing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- bewail
- Present continuous
- am/is/are bewailing
- Present perfect
- have/has bewailed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been bewailing
- Past
- bewailed
- Past continuous
- was/were bewailing
- Past perfect
- had bewailed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been bewailing
- Future
- will bewail
- Future continuous
- will be bewailing
- Future perfect
- will have bewailed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been bewailing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: bewail; bewails; bewailed; bewailed; bewailing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: bewails.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.