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.
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
The boy wailed in anguish as he threw himself over the side and into the lifeboat.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
