hail

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈhāl 

1

: precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of clear ice and compact snow

2

: something that gives the effect of a shower of hail

a hail of rifle fire

hail

2 of 5

verb (1)

hailed; hailing; hails

intransitive verb

1

: to precipitate hail (see hail entry 1)

it was hailing hard

2

: to pour down or strike like hail

Bullets were hailing down on them.

hail

3 of 5

verb (2)

hailed; hailing; hails

transitive verb

1

a

: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim

hailed as a great success

b

: salute, greet

returning soldiers hailed with parades

2

: to greet or summon by calling

hail a taxi

intransitive verb

: to call out

especially : to call a greeting to a passing ship

hailer

ˈhā-lər 

noun

see also:

hail from

hail

4 of 5

interjection

1

—used to express acclamation

Hail to the Chief …

—Sir Walter Scott

2

archaic

—used as a salutation

hail

5 of 5

noun (2)

1

: an exclamation of greeting or acclamation

greeted the emperor with a hail

2

: a calling to attract attention

3

: hearing distance

stayed within hail

Synonyms of hail

Noun (1)

• rain
• barrage
• shower
• storm

Verb (2)

• praise
• applaud
• salute
• acclaim

Noun (2)

• sound
• hearing
• distance

Examples of hail in a Sentence

Noun (1)

a hail of small stones warned them of the oncoming avalanche

even under the hail of angry questions, the press secretary stayed cool

Verb (2)

the museum director hailed the artist's new installation as a groundbreaking work of genius

let's hail a taxi

hailed the waiter for the check

Noun (2)

stay within hail of the restaurant's front desk so you'll know when your table is ready

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For homeowners, that means shopping around, comparing coverage, discovering discounts and making improvements to help roofs withstand hail and severe weather. — Derek James, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Archival data from the Aviation Weather Center shows a Significant Meteorological Information warning was in effect at the time of the crash, indicating hazardous in-flight weather such as thunderstorms, hail or other factors. — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026

Verb

After eight months of striking the region’s economic lifelines to turn American voters against the war, Tehran has hailed the Republican loss as a public verdict on it. — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026

Budgeted at $25 million in 1979, Caligula was hailed at the time as one of the most expensive independent movies ever made. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hægl; akin to Old High German hagal hail

Interjection, Verb (2), and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old Norse heill, from heill healthy — more at whole

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Interjection

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hail

• all hail
• hail a taxi
• hail-fellow
• hail-fellow-well-met
• hail from
• soft hail

Rhymes for hail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• jail

Kids Definition

hail

1 of 5 noun

ˈhā(ə)l 

1

: small lumps of ice that fall from clouds sometimes during thunderstorms

2

: something that gives the effect of falling hail

a hail of bullets

hail

2 of 5 verb

1

: to fall as hail

2

: to pour down like hail

hail

3 of 5 interjection

1

—used to express enthusiastic approval

2

archaic

—used as a greeting

hail

4 of 5 verb

1

a

: greet sense 1

b

: to greet with enthusiastic approval : acclaim

hailed them as heroes

2

: to summon by calling

hail a taxi

3

: to call out to

hail a passing ship

hail

5 of 5 noun

1

: an act or instance of hailing

2

: hearing distance

stayed within hail

Etymology

Noun

Old English hægl "lumps of ice, hail"

Interjection

Middle English hail (an interjection of approval or greeting), derived from early Norse heill "healthy" — related to hale entry 1, wassail