wail

[ weyl ]

/ weɪl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR wail 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.

Content related to wail

Fancy Words For Everyday Activities Humming (is so boring) Yet, bombinating sounds much more interesting! This word may sound a bit like bumblebee, which is kind of neat as it means “to hum, or buzz.” First published in the late 1800s, bombinate and bombilate are twins with family-tree roots tangled in both Greek and Latin derivatives (confusing) that lead to the late Latin bombilāre, or “to hum.” Breathing (is so …

Words related to wail

pallbearer, griever, weeper, keener

Words nearby wail

waichow, waif, waikaremoana, waikato, waikiki, wail, wail like a banshee, wailful, wailsome, wailuku, wain

Origin of wail

1300–50; Middle English weile (v. and noun), perhaps derivative of Old English weilā(wei) well-away; compare Old English wǣlan to torment, Old Norse wǣla to wail

OTHER WORDS FROM wail

wail·er, nounwail·ing·ly, adverbun·wailed, adjectiveun·wail·ing, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wail

wail whale

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for wailer

Then follows the story: Luisa, the Wailer, in life was a woman of the people, very beautiful.
Legends of the City of Mexico|Thomas A. Janvier
After weeping over her dead body he sets out in search of a Wailer.
Russian Fairy Tales|W. R. S. Ralston

British Dictionary definitions for wailer

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