An archaic exclamation expressing sorrow, lamentation, or regret; similar to 'alas' or 'woe is me.'
From Middle English alack (expression of sorrow) combined with day, possibly influenced by similar exclamations. The phrase may derive from 'lack' (meaning to lose or want) with intensifying prefixes and suffixes.
This word is pure Shakespearean drama—you'd hear it from characters having their worst moments, and it's so old-fashioned that even using it as a joke today makes you sound like you're performing in a play!
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