wail
verb (used without object)
to utter a prolonged, inarticulate, mournful cry, usually high-pitched or clear-sounding, as in grief or suffering.
wails
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pluralof wail.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof wail (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
Yet amid the wails is heard a new maturity about the government’s role and fiscal limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
As Elvis wails the line, “And I miss her,” from his cover ballad about a bad husband, we see a shot of Elvis’ dead mother, Gladys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
“My grandmother was a sharecropper in Arkansas, and I know that this is the same thing,” a man shouts at one point as whistles shrill and a handheld siren wails.
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2026
Cries and wails are repeatedly heard throughout the videos as people mourn the loss of their loves ones.
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026
She usually wails louder than a smoke alarm.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
