lamentable
/ləˈmentəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ləˈmentəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /lə-ˈmen-tə-bəl also ˈla-mən-/ (ame, mw)
lamentable — adjective
- lamentablepositive
- more lamentablecomparative
- most lamentablesuperlative
1. so bad that it makes you feel disappointed, angry, or ashamed — used to describe
so bad that it makes you feel disappointed, angry, or ashamed — used to describe situations, decisions, conditions, or behaviour that are completely unacceptable and deserve strong criticism.
Shutting down the hospital was a lamentable mistake that harmed thousands of patients.
attributive: a lamentable + noun (mistake)
Chen called the lack of clean water in the village a lamentable situation needing urgent action.
attributive: a lamentable + noun (situation)
The old library has truly lamentable conditions, with leaking ceilings and broken shelves.
It is lamentable that the city spent millions on a new stadium while neighbourhood schools continued to lose funding.
Rosa described the factory's safety record as lamentable and demanded immediate changes from management.
- deplorable
very similar in meaning and formality; often interchangeable, though 'deplorable' may emphasise moral shock
- regrettable
slightly milder and more common in everyday use; focuses on disappointment rather than harsh criticism
- disgraceful
stronger emotional weight, implies shame and dishonour beyond simple badness
- appalling
emphasises shock and horror at how bad something is
- praiseworthy
deserving approval and admiration — the opposite of deserving criticism
- admirable
describes something that earns respect rather than condemnation
文法句型
a lamentable + noun
something + be/become + lamentable
it is lamentable that + clause
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or written English rather than everyday conversation. The person or thing being criticised is the subject of the sentence — do not use 'lamentable' to describe a person's feelings (use 'sad' or 'distressed' instead).