wail
verb (used without object)
to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
wailed
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past participleof wail.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof wail.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
wailverb (used without object)to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Women dressed in black robes wailed over the bodies, one of which was draped in Hezbollah's yellow flag - a reflection of the group's support in this largely Shia area.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 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
“Take me to my father,” she wailed as a paramedic tended to her wounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2025
I wailed through the phone to my mother.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2025
Sirens wailed and the antiaircraft guns rumbled like thunder.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
