lamented

Lamented is both the past participle of the verb lament and an occasional adjective describing a person or thing that has been lamented or is the object of lament. As a verb, lamented means expressed sorrow, grief, or regret about something; examples: "She lamented the loss of her youth" or "They lamented the decision." As an adjective, lamented is used to characterize a person or thing that is mourned, often in formal or ceremonial contexts. In obituaries and ceremonial writing, the epithet the late lamented is used to refer to someone who has died, conveying reverence and a traditional tone. The phrase can appear redundant when the word late is already used, but it persists in some styles.

Etymology: lamented derives from lament, from Latin lamentari 'to bewail,' via Old French lamenter. Related terms include lament, lamentation, and lamentable, though lamentable conveys something regrettable rather than the act of mourning.

Usage considerations: lamented as a verb is common in narrative and reporting; as an epithet, its register tends toward formal, sometimes antiquated prose. In modern journalistic practice, "the late" or the deceased's name alone may be preferred to avoid archaism.

See also: lament, lamentation, mourn, grief, obituary language.