wailing
Americanadjective
-
uttering a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
In the village we passed a funeral procession, the wailing widow following behind the body of her husband.
-
making a mournful sound, as a siren, music, the wind, etc..
A wailing police siren nears, passes, and fades.
-
complaining, protesting, whining, or crying.
He rubbed the bare foot of the wailing toddler and planted a kiss on it.
They’re always trying to correct the market, usually in the interests of some wailing pressure group.
-
Slang. expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.
The song celebrates with a Cajun-flavored stomp accompanied by a wailing fiddle and screaming electric guitar.
noun
-
wailings
plural
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a mournful cry or sound, or the act of making such a sound.
The wailing of the mourners rose and fell, merging with the drums and the shaman’s chants.
-
an act or instance of complaining, protesting, etc..
“All art is propaganda, despite the wailing of purists,” she sneered.
-
Slang. the act of expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.
At this live show from 1974, the soulful wailing of the chorus in the background is utterly spine-tingling.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of wailing
First recorded in 1350–1400; wail ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; wail ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Mono,” mostly the singer and shrieking strings, brings to mind David Bowie in late-’70s art-rock mode, while on “Easy Street” Mr. Homme channels the wailing desperation of Bryan Ferry over a droning guitar solo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The 24-year-old figure skater was captured clutching her leg and repeatedly wailing "why?"
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“I fought for that because I knew no DJ would cut that song off with Neal’s guitar wailing at the end of it. It was too brilliant.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
During Arbaeen, they show their grief, mourning with weeping and wailing in memory of Hussein.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
On Saturday afternoon Ben rounded the corner of River Street and heard Toomer’s voice calling out in a wailing summer canticle to the last shoppers of the day.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
It’s more like a Wagnerian music-drama, a somber story built around intimations of doom and orchestrated with a soundtrack of pounding drums and high-pitched wailings and ululations.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 21, 2021
During one Loueke showcase, his distorted voice occupied the same trebly range as his guitar wailings and scrapings.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 9, 2017
He testily advised him “to leave the predictions of Cassandra and the wailings of Jeremiah backstage.”
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2010
“The same wailings from the new arrivals, the same barking and shouts from the guards,” a character in Atwood’s new novel, The Testaments, a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, recalls of Gilead’s convulsive birth.
From Slate
At this season, one may hear five or six chanting at once; every break in the song of the nearest being filled up by the pipings or wailings of the more distant ones.
From British Birds in their Haunts by Rev. C. A. Johns
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