Alas
//əˈlæs// intj, noun
intj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A type of geological depression which occurs in Yakutia, formed by the subsidence of permafrost.
"Alternative forms: alass, alaas"
Adverb
- 1 by bad luck wordnet
Intj
- 1 Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion, grief, resignation, or disappointment.
"I wanted to catch the last bus home, but alas, I was ten minutes late and had to take a taxi instead."
Example
More examples"Alas, what ill luck has befallen me!"
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English alas, from Old French a las (French hélas), from a (“ah”) + las, from Latin lassus (“weary”). Compare Dutch helaas, North Frisian ielas, West Frisian eilaas.
Etymology 2
From Yakut алаас (alaas).
Related phrases
More for "alas"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.