What does "alack" mean?

An expression of sorrow or mourning.

What is a synonym for "alack"?

Common synonyms include: alackaday, alas, alas, oh dear, woe is me.

//əˈlæk// intj

intj ·Rare ·Advanced level

Intj

1
An expression of sorrow or mourning.
"On a day, alack the day: / Loue, whoſe Month is euery May, / Spied a bloſſome paſſing faire, / Playing in the wanton ayre:"

"On a day, alack the day: / Loue, whoſe Month is euery May, / Spied a bloſſome paſſing faire, / Playing in the wanton ayre:"

From Middle English alacke, alagge, probably from ah + lack.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.