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wail
[ weyl ]
/ weɪl /
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verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
to express deep sorrow for; mourn; lament; bewail: to wail the dead; to wail one's fate.
to express in wailing; cry or say in lamentation: to wail one's grief.
noun
QUIZ
ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.
Question 1 of 8
Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?
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Origin of wail
1300–50; Middle English weile (verb and noun), perhaps derivative of Old English weilāwei wellaway; compare Old English wǣlan “to torment,” Old Norse wǣla “to wail”
OTHER WORDS FROM wail
wailer, nounwail·ing·ly, adverbun·wailed, adjectiveun·wail·ing, adjectiveWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wail
wail , whaleWords nearby wail
waiata, waif, Waikaremoana, Waikato, Waikiki, wail, wailful, Wailing Wall, wail like a banshee, wailsome, Wailuku
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use wail in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for wail
wail
/ (weɪl) /
verb
(intr) to utter a prolonged high-pitched cry, as of grief or misery
(intr) to make a sound resembling such a crythe wind wailed in the trees
(tr) to lament, esp with mournful sounds
noun
a prolonged high-pitched mournful cry or sound
Derived forms of wail
wailer, nounwailful, adjectivewailfully, adverbWord Origin for wail
C14: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse vǣla to wail, Old English wā woe
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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