wailing

American

[wey-ling] / ˈweɪ lɪŋ /

adjective

uttering a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.

In the village we passed a funeral procession, the wailing widow following behind the body of her husband.
making a mournful sound, as a siren, music, the wind, etc..

A wailing police siren nears, passes, and fades.
complaining, protesting, whining, or crying.

He rubbed the bare foot of the wailing toddler and planted a kiss on it.
They’re always trying to correct the market, usually in the interests of some wailing pressure group.
Slang. expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.

The song celebrates with a Cajun-flavored stomp accompanied by a wailing fiddle and screaming electric guitar.

noun

a mournful cry or sound, or the act of making such a sound.

The wailing of the mourners rose and fell, merging with the drums and the shaman’s chants.
an act or instance of complaining, protesting, etc..

“All art is propaganda, despite the wailing of purists,” she sneered.
Slang. the act of expressing emotion musically or verbally in an exciting, satisfying way.

At this live show from 1974, the soulful wailing of the chorus in the background is utterly spine-tingling.

Other Word Forms

unwailing adjective
wailingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of wailing

First recorded in 1350–1400; wail ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; wail ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

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.

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

"Woken by huge bangs and wailing siren," he texted.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

With Mr. Frampton wailing on guitar, “Doobie Wah” has a hard-rock core but a rollicking Doobie Brothers feel akin to that group’s 1972 hit “Listen to the Music.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

Tick the paddle shifter, the wailing revs slip slightly—a kind of warble—then head through the roof again.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Fifi stands to walk her wailing baby to sleep.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023