wail

[ weyl ]

/ weɪl /

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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.

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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

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

How to use wail in a sentence

As McSpadden wailed in grief, Head climbed on the hood of the car to console her.
The Baptism of Michael Brown Sr. and Ferguson’s Baptism by Fire|Justin Glawe|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Little Kristina wailed as she was taken out of sight of her mother; she has not been seen since.
Amnesty Report: ISIS Committing Ethnic Cleansing on an Historic Scale|Nico Hines|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My chest pressed into the foot of the crib, arms outstretched through bars, I wailed at an open door to an empty staircase.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Huddled in groups outside the storefronts, people chatted and waited, cried and wailed the names of the missing.
‘It Sounded Like Someone Kicked My Door In’: The Disaster That Rocked East Harlem|Jacob Siegel|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Windows and doors rattled, and sirens wailed in the gathering night.
New York City’s Sandy Disaster: A Meteorological 9/11?|Michael Daly|October 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
As the music wailed its dying cadences into this fateful silence, Tom met her eyes across the room.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Amazed, forgetful of their discomfort, the girls listened while the throbbing, haunting melody wailed itself to a close.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope
I never thought I could eat so much, wailed Janet, after a particularly hearty meal.
The Adventure Girls at K Bar O|Clair Blank
"I—I don't want you to," wailed Genevieve, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.
The Sunbridge Girls at Six Star Ranch|Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman) Porter
Strong men were crying out in agony; women wailed; there were tears on the most iron cheek.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis

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 related to wail

How to use wail in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wail

Derived forms of wail

Word Origin for wail