alas

alas — exclamation

1. a literary or formal word people say or write to show they feel sorry about some

1.感嘆詞C1
釋義

a literary or formal word people say or write to show they feel sorry about something, often when nothing can be done to fix it.

例句

Alas, the old library on Maple Street closed its doors for the last time on Friday.

sentence-initial: Alas, + clause stating an unwelcome fact

Mrs. Park hoped to see her grandson before winter, but, alas, the flight was cancelled again.

mid-sentence: , but, alas, + clause showing dashed hope

同義詞
  • unfortunately

    neutral and far more common in modern speech and writing

  • sadly

    everyday word for the same idea, fits both speech and writing

  • regrettably

    formal, often in business or official contexts

反義詞
  • happily

    introduces good news instead of bad

  • fortunately

    marks a lucky or welcome turn of events

文法句型

Alas, + clause

Alas!

用法筆記

Mainly literary or written; sounds old-fashioned in everyday speech. Often opens a sentence and is followed by a comma and the disappointing fact.

常見錯誤

❌Alas, I won the prize!
✅Alas, I missed the prize by one point.
💡alas only fits sad or disappointing news, never happy news.
❌I alas forgot my keys.
✅Alas, I forgot my keys.
💡alas sits at the start of the sentence or stands alone, not in the middle as a normal adverb.

2. a strong cry used in older books, plays, or poems to show deep grief, especially

2.感嘆詞C2
釋義

a strong cry used in older books, plays, or poems to show deep grief, especially over a loss, a death, or a hopeless fate.

例句

Alas! The brave young soldier would never see his village again.

literary: Alas! + clause about loss or death

Alas for the kingdom, its wise old queen had passed away during the long winter.

pattern: Alas for + noun phrase + clause

同義詞
  • woe

    archaic noun-style cry, as in 'woe is me'

  • tragically

    modern formal adverb for events involving death or great loss

反義詞
  • hurrah

    old-fashioned cry of joy, opposite mood

文法句型

Alas!

Alas for + noun phrase

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this stronger use appears almost only in poetry, drama, or storytelling about death and tragedy. Modern writers usually pick a plainer word like 'tragically'.

常見錯誤

❌Alas! I dropped my pencil.
✅Oh no, I dropped my pencil.
💡sense 2 fits a deep loss, not a small everyday problem.
❌Alas the king his crown was lost.
✅Alas for the king, his crown was lost.
💡when adding the person grieved over, use 'Alas for + noun'.