wail
Americanverb (used without object)
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wails,
present (3rd person singular)
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wailed,
past participle, past
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wailing
present participle
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to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
to wail with pain.
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to make mournful sounds, as music or the wind.
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to lament or mourn bitterly.
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Jazz. to perform exceptionally well.
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Slang. to express emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.
verb (used with object)
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wails,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wailed,
past participle, past
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wailing
present participle
noun
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wails
plural
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the act of wailing.
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a wailing cry, as of grief, pain, or despair.
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any similar mournful sound.
the wail of an old tune.
verb
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(intr) to utter a prolonged high-pitched cry, as of grief or misery
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(intr) to make a sound resembling such a cry
the wind wailed in the trees
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(tr) to lament, esp with mournful sounds
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wailsimple
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wailssimple
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have wailedperfect
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has wailedperfect
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am wailingprogressive
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are wailingprogressive
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is wailingprogressive
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have been wailingperfect progressive
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has been wailingperfect progressive
Past
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wailedsimple
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had wailedperfect
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was wailingprogressive
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were wailingprogressive
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had been wailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wail
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English weile (verb and noun), perhaps derivative of Old English weilāwei wellaway ( def. ); compare Old English wǣlan “to torment,” Old Norse wǣla “to wail”
Explanation
To wail is to let loose a long loud cry. If you're feeling truly miserable, take a deep breath and wail as loudly as possible. When it comes to expressing unhappiness, wailing lies at the extreme end of the spectrum. So, it's best to save this response for life's most unpleasant moments — unless you're a jazz musician. In jazz terminology, wailing on one's instrument is actually a good thing. What's the connection between an eardrum-shattering expression of misery and a hot jam session? The answer to that question may depend on your personal musical preferences.
Vocabulary lists containing wail
Instead of "Said": Words For Sad Speech
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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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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:
With his rapid-fire mandolin playing and tenor wail, Buzz Busby delighted crowds in the honky-tonks of Washington, D.C.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Sirens wail as ambulances and rescue vehicles race through the streets.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
Full of sorrow and restraint, the opening verses are entombed by muffled synths before Liene explodes into an operatic wail of catharsis in the dying moments.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Zhao has been signaling this moment from the start of the film, and when Hamnet’s bright, earnest voice is replaced by Buckley’s full-bodied, guttural wail, it’s nearly impossible to stay stone-faced.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
“I don’t know why he hates us so much,” Hyacinth said with a wail.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
Near Kelly: Set against the Teton Range, the movie “Shane” ends with Alan Ladd in the title role riding away on his horse while little Joey wails, “Shane! SHANE! Come back!”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026
“My grandmother was a sharecropper in Arkansas, and I know that this is the same thing,” a man shouts at one point as whistles shrill and a handheld siren wails.
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2026
Cries and wails are repeatedly heard throughout the videos as people mourn the loss of their loves ones.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
On “In the Mirror,” Lane wails and reflects on being the monster in a relationship gone south.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2024
“But I have seven best friends who all sit at my lunch table with me,” wails Savannah Bobbins.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Jamie Varley, 37, who earlier wailed for his mother, made the remark in the bereavement room at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with 13-month-old Preston Davey in his arms.
From BBC ● May 6, 2026
They wailed and sang as they beat their chests with their hands, a common mourning ritual in Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
Sunday was the test that all championship teams must pass, and the Rams did so with frozen hands and puffy faces and a will that wailed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
As we spoke an air raid siren wailed overhead – the sound so familiar that Margaryta did not respond.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2025
He wailed and dashed off to the bathroom to inspect every single one of his pores.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Half of the assembled musicians played on the film’s original soundtrack; star trumpet soloist Bijon Watson can even be seen wailing in the Lighthouse jazz scenes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
During Arbaeen, they show their grief, mourning with weeping and wailing in memory of Hussein.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
"Woken by huge bangs and wailing siren," he texted.
From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026
No, Moore goes for the hard stuff: wailing saxophones, arrhythmic bass lines, drums that follow beats so out of time they might as well come from the deepest reaches of space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025
Grandmother rocked back and forth, wailing with grief, when she recounted the story.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
