interj. Used to express sorrow, regret, grief, compassion, or apprehension of danger or evil. [Middle English, from Old French a las, helas, ah (I am) miserable, from Latin lassus, weary; see lē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.