wail

[ weyl ]

/ weɪl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: wail / wailed / wailing / wailer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

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

to make mournful sounds, as music or the wind.

to lament or mourn bitterly.

Jazz. to perform exceptionally well.

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

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

the act of wailing.

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

any similar mournful sound: the wail of an old tune.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of wail

First recorded in 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

wail·er, nounun·wailed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wail

wail , whale

Words nearby wail

waiata, waif, Waikaremoana, Waikato, Waikiki, wail, wailful, wailing, Wailing Wall, wail like a banshee, wailsome

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wail in a sentence

The sirens and the wails will recur … again and again and again.
Butterfly Effect: Guess Who Gains From a Burning Jerusalem?|Charu Kasturi|May 13, 2021|Ozy
As the women “wail” and the men “dance,” the community takes time to “demonstrate care and respect for the dead.”
Kissing the Corpses in Ebola Country|Abby Haglage|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Kirsty, understandably, was not impressed at being dumped on her dream day, and her bereft wail filled the church.
America, Presenting Your New Addiction: ‘The Archers’|Tim Teeman|April 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv's cafes still buzz with activity, even as the sirens wail.
Israel vs. Gaza: a Tale of Two Battlefields|Dan Ephron|November 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST

As CEOs, investors, and lobbyists wail, Republicans will only be able to deliver if they can coax President Obama into a deal.
No Deal on the Fiscal Cliff May Not Be Such a Bad Thing|Daniel Gross|November 8, 2012|DAILY BEAST
A helicopter chugged above and there was the wail of a siren.
London's Living Sculptures|Anthony Haden-Guest|August 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
His childhood, except when he could be rocked and sung into sickly sleep, was one long piteous wail.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
Gradually all grew still and then over the river came the terrible hunger wail of a tiger.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
Throughout the country-side, wherever the echo of the wail was heard, a tension fell upon everything.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
He ate it in silence, except that every now and then he uttered a sort of wail, and looked up at Lillyston.
Julian Home|Dean Frederic W. Farrar
And in windy, still frozen March the wail of a tiny baby was heard in the house.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various

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, adverb

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

wail

Origin of wail

OTHER WORDS FROM wail

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wail

Words nearby wail

Words related to wail

How to use wail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wail

Derived forms of wail

Word Origin for wail