Adjacent Words

Alas definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ALAS', ex.
An exclamation expressive of sorrow, grief, pity, concern, or apprehension of evil; sometimes followed by day or while; alas the day, like alack a day; or alas the while, expressing an unhappy time.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adv
1: by bad luck; "unfortunately it rained all day"; "alas, I cannot stay" [syn: unfortunately, unluckily, regrettably, alas] [ant: as luck would have it, fortuitously, fortunately, luckily]

Merriam Webster's

interjection Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from a ah + las weary, from Latin lassus — more at lassitude Date: 13th century — used to express unhappiness, pity, or concern

Merriam Webster's

abbreviation Alaska

Oxford Reference Dictionary

int. an expression of grief, pity, or concern. Etymology: ME f. OF a las(se) f. a ah + las(se) f. L lassus weary

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alas A*las", interj. [OE. alas, allas, OF. alas, F. h['e]las; a interj. (L. ah.) + las wretched (that I am), L. lassus weary, akin to E. late. See Late.] An exclamation expressive of sorrow, pity, or apprehension of evil; -- in old writers, sometimes followed by day or white; alas the day, like alack a day, or alas the white.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

You use alas to say that you think that the facts you are talking about are sad or unfortunate. (FORMAL) Such scandals have not, alas, been absent... Alas, it's not that simple. = sadly ADV: ADV with cl [feelings]

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

interj. See alack.