wail

American  

[wayl] / weɪl /

verb (used without object)

• wails,
  present (3rd person singular)
• wailed,
  past participle,  past
• wailing
  present participle

1. to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.

   to wail with pain.

2. to make mournful sounds, as music or the wind.

3. to lament or mourn bitterly.

4. Jazz. to perform exceptionally well.

5. Slang. to express emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.

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verb (used with object)

• wails,
  present (3rd person singular)
• wailed,
  past participle,  past
• wailing
  present participle

1. to express deep sorrow for; mourn; lament; bewail.

   to wail the dead;

   to wail one's fate.

2. to express in wailing; cry or say in lamentation.

   to wail one's grief.

noun

• wails
  plural

1. the act of wailing.

2. a wailing cry, as of grief, pain, or despair.

3. any similar mournful sound.

   the wail of an old tune.

wail British  

/ weɪl /

verb

1. (intr) to utter a prolonged high-pitched cry, as of grief or misery

2. (intr) to make a sound resembling such a cry

   the wind wailed in the trees

3. (tr) to lament, esp with mournful sounds

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noun

1. a prolonged high-pitched mournful cry or sound

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wailer
  noun
• unwailed
  adjective
• wailful
  adjective
• wailfully
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wails
  plural

Participles

• wailing
  present
• wailed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wail
  simple
• wails
  simple
• have wailed
  perfect
• has wailed
  perfect
• am wailing
  progressive
• are wailing
  progressive
• is wailing
  progressive
• have been wailing
  perfect progressive
• has been wailing
  perfect progressive

Past

• wailed
  simple
• had wailed
  perfect
• was wailing
  progressive
• were wailing
  progressive
• had been wailing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wail
  simple
• will have wailed
  perfect
• will be wailing
  progressive
• will have been wailing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wail wails wailed wailing

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

If you’ve wondered what would happen when a garage-rocker cowboy is joined by a punk who likes the Western wail of steel guitars, look no further than “Blame the Clown.”

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Some people, like Anna Shilanski, are choosing to spend their nights underground to avoid having to wake up and rush downstairs when air raid sirens wail in the wee hours.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

Ada, 36, is strolling on the beach, unfazed by the wail of air alert sirens mingling with the squawking of seagulls.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026

I can hear the wail hiding in her voice.

From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The constant air raids are a huge problem for businesses, many of which have to shut their doors every time a siren wails.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

"Literally, the entire group was there in the building, this is a terrible and extraordinary event," he said, as anguished wails from other pilgrims with him are heard over the video.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Yet amid the wails is heard a new maturity about the government’s role and fiscal limits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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

Kira listened, laughing, to the wails and whimpers as Thomas mercilessly scrubbed both Matt and Branch in his bathroom tub.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

Draped in a torn white skirt and black fishnet gloves to complement, she wailed “I hate when girls die.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 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

As she spoke to her staff, Rock wailed silently on the baby monitor app on her phone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025

"I wanted to come here desperately, I wanted to see my husband," wailed one woman, who gave her name as Naruemol, as her friend comforted her.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2025

“We’re all weary,” said Thaddeus as a baby wailed.

From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate

The bold clarity of the performances was energizing, but the wailing sometimes sounded like parody grief.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

"For two hours I kept crying and wailing," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

During Arbaeen, they show their grief, mourning with weeping and wailing in memory of Hussein.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

The lyrics mention muddy water and Natchez, Miss., and he adds wailing fills on the instrument officially known as a harmonica but which in this context is usually called a “harp.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

My eyes fill with tears, and a yelp from deep inside me is drowned out by their wailing music.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• fuss
• grieve
• howl
• moan
• mourn
• sob
• weep
• whimper