Lamentable describes something so bad, unfortunate, or regrettable that it makes you want to complain about it or feel sorry about it. The word comes from “lament,” which means to express grief or disappointment.

When your team loses the championship because of a lamentable mistake in the final seconds, it's the kind of error that makes everyone groan and wish they could replay that moment. A lamentable performance on a test might result from poor preparation, and a lamentable decision might be one you immediately regret making.

The word carries a sense of disappointment that's hard to ignore. A few small problems might be annoying, but a lamentable situation is seriously unfortunate. If your school's library is in lamentable condition, it means the building is in such poor shape that it's genuinely sad to see.

You'll often hear lamentable when someone wants to emphasize just how regrettable something is. A news article might describe the lamentable state of a neglected park, or a coach might point to the lamentable lack of effort in practice.