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

But he added "we do not have the luxury of taking a rest simply because our bodies are exhausted. Nor is there time to wail together when our hearts break."

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

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

Then she screams, an angry wail that echoes off every appliance in the room.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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

As Elvis wails the line, “And I miss her,” from his cover ballad about a bad husband, we see a shot of Elvis’ dead mother, Gladys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026

Otherwise, the sounds from the quarter would lose order and rhythm and become wails.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

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

To the side, women wailed, beating their chests or throwing fistfuls of rice and rose petals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025

"Now we'll never find out their secret recipe for the contest," Bess wailed.

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

Eventually, the bus made its way out onto the main road and towards the team hotel some 15 minutes' drive away, leaving several supporters wailing and sobbing.

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026

As Héctor and the other paramedic, Julio César Vega, 28, entered the premises, a woman ran in wailing.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

When they arrived near the vicinity of the police station, they heard the wailing first.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

Related Words

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