bemoan
UK /bɪˈməʊn/ · US /bɪˈmoʊn/ verb
Forms bemoans bemoaning bemoaned
- verb (transitive) To moan or complain about (something). “He bemoaned the drought but went on watering his lawn.”
- verb (transitive, reflexive) To be dismayed or worried about (someone), particularly because of their situation or what has happened to them.
Synonyms
bewail lament mourn beef bellyache bitch bleat whimper carp chunter complain crab croak dump on frine girn give out grumble grotch grouse deplore
Etymology
From Middle English bemenen, bimenen, from Old English bemǣnan (“to bemoan, bewail, lament”); equivalent to be- (“about, concerning”) + moan. Alteration of vowel from Middle to Modern English due to analogy with moan.
Webster’s 1913
- verb To express deep grief for by moaning; to express sorrow for; to lament; to bewail; to pity or sympathize with.
Etymology [OE. bimenen, AS. bem; pref. be- + m to moan. See Moan.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “bemoan”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details