—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Life, alas, is too short.
Examples of alas in a Sentence
Interjection
Juliet's pitiful lament, “alas, poor Romeo, he is already dead!”.
Recent Examples on the Web
Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 17 July 2025
But alas, all this transaction cost the Hornets is Jusuf Nurkic, who, at this point in his career, is considered little more than salary filler to most teams.
—Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Golden State, alas, may not be the right fit for him anymore, as the Warriors have other priorities with sub-apron money and a developing alternative in Quinten Post (below).
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Vertical malls may, alas, be a thing of the past, but 500,000 square feet is a formidable chunk of real estate in what once was one of the most exciting and aspirational blocks in the Midwest.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for alas
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Interjection
Even Nicole Kidman had gotten wind of it and at one point considered rolling up to the film’s rollicking post-premiere party on the beach with me in tow, but, alas, the Oscar winner was unable to break away from an official function.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 17 July 2025
But alas, all this transaction cost the Hornets is Jusuf Nurkic, who, at this point in his career, is considered little more than salary filler to most teams.
—Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
Golden State, alas, may not be the right fit for him anymore, as the Warriors have other priorities with sub-apron money and a developing alternative in Quinten Post (below).
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 21 June 2025
Vertical malls may, alas, be a thing of the past, but 500,000 square feet is a formidable chunk of real estate in what once was one of the most exciting and aspirational blocks in the Midwest.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for alas
Cite this Entry
“Alas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alas. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alas
interjection
—used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share