To express regret or sorrow about something; to complain or lament.
From Middle English 'bemonen', combining 'be-' (prefix intensifying the verb) + 'moan' (from Old English 'man', meaning to complain or moan). The prefix strengthened the sense of expressing grief.
Shakespeare used 'bemoan' extensively in his tragedies—characters would bemoan their fates with theatrical intensity. The word captures that heightened, almost operatic expression of sorrow that defines classic drama.
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