Alas, despite their nutritional advantage, most of these eastern U.S crops suffered from serious disadvantages in other respects

Alas is another way to emphatically say “unfortunately.” Perhaps you meant to finish up all your homework last night, but alas, your favorite television show wound up getting your undivided attention instead.

Letting out a breathy alas in the middle of your sentence may sound dramatic or old fashioned, but it's actually an excellent way to emphasize extreme bewilderment, regret, concern, or woe. Once an expression of weariness rather than grief, alasstems from the Latin lassus, meaning “tired, weary.” Exclaimed Lord Byron, the English poet, “Alas! The love of women! It is known to be a lovely and fearful thing!”

DEFINITIONS OF:alas

1

advby bad luck

“alas, I cannot stay”

Synonyms:

regrettably, unfortunately, unluckily

Antonyms:

as luck would have it, fortuitously, fortunately, luckily

by good fortune

Add to List...Thesaurus

WORD FAMILY

alas

the "alas" family

USAGE EXAMPLES

• And now, alas, so must I. It's been great, you guys.
  Slate Jan 15, 2014
• Alas he was injured, and says the offending player whispered the insult so none of Davis's team-mates could hear.
  BBC Jan 15, 2014
• Alas, what he found among the city dwellers was different but still unnerving: an overbearing affection for the Jews.
  New York Times Jan 14, 2014
• Alas, even a widespread die-off would be little more than a temporary setback.
  New York Times Jan 14, 2014

Next

AllNewsMedicine/ScienceBusinessArts/CultureSportsFictionTech