wail

American  

[weyl] / weɪl /

verb (used without object)

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)

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

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

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

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

“We are here because we have no choice,” Wail Qasim, an activist and journalist who took part in a protest near Heathrow Airport, which serves London, wrote on Twitter.

From New York Times • Aug. 5, 2016

Although a woman partner of a firm is rare, Wail Street and Women have recently become more familiar.

From Time Magazine Archive

O poet, Blush like a rotted skin; Brighten like a dusty tower; Wail like a happy earthworm; Dream like an enormous flood; Tremble like a red locomotive; Flop like a damp gate!

From Time Magazine Archive

Two brothers called Wail and Waleed Alshehri have been missing from their home in the southern part of Saudi Arabia for several months, and their families reportedly identified hijacker photographs.

From Time Magazine Archive

Wail, the foes he quelled,—hail, the friends he held, "Tavistock's Pym!"

From Browning's England A Study in English Influences in Browning by Clarke, Helen Archibald

Related Words

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